


A Place for the Two of Us

by LittleMissLuna



Series: The Cafe Collection [1]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, I'm Sorry, Jaehee Route Spoilers, jaehee is gaehee, v still has cancer, yoosung and mc are besties
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-15
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-08-31 03:53:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8562832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissLuna/pseuds/LittleMissLuna
Summary: Jaehee and MC prepare to open a cafe and also maybe fall in love.Takes place in between Jaehee's end and after end.





	1. Chapter 1

INCOMING CALL: JUMIN HAN

 You don’t really want to pick up the phone when you see the picture flashing up on the screen. But Jumin is nothing if persistent, and you know he’ll talk to you if he wants to, even if he has to get his men to bring you to him directly. Thinking you’d like to avoid that possibility, you sigh and click the green button.

 “Jumin?”

 “MC,” he replies in his usual brooding tone. “I wasn’t sure you’d answer.”

 Neither was I, you don’t say. Instead you stay silent, and he goes on.

 “I wanted to ask you about something,” he says. “I never got a satisfactory answer regarding why you refused to be my assistant.”

 You huff loudly into the receiver. “As I’ve already explained, I got a better offer.”

 “You are speaking of Assistant Kang’s theoretical cafe.”

 “It’s not just theoretical!” You say it louder than you intended. The birds around the bench you’re sitting on scatter at the sudden noise. You continue, calmer: “She’s always loved the cafe environment. It only seems out of the blue to you because you never bothered to learn about her interests.”

 “I cannot deny that,” Jumin concedes. “I admit her interests did not matter to me so long as she satisfactorily completed the work I gave her.”

 You know he can’t see you over the phone, but you roll your eyes all the same. “That’s why she left you.”

 “At any rate,” says Jumin, changing the subject. “The cafe project is not guaranteed success, whereas a job with me promises many benefits. What I cannot comprehend is why you would choose an uncertain future over security and wealth.”

 You can’t help it. You laugh. More birds scatter at your feet. A woman walking her dog across the street turns to look at you.

 “You sound like you’ve never taken a risk in your life!”

 Jumin considers this for a moment before replying, “I suppose I haven’t. It’s true that not every project I’ve started has succeeded, but the other assets of my company were always enough so that one failure would not affect the rest.”

 “You can only say that because you’re rich,” you chide. “The rest of us have to try our best even knowing we could fail.”

 “What if I made you an offer then? If you take the job, I can fund the entire project myself. I will reserve prime real estate for the storefront. I will hire the finest staff members. I will import coffee beans from...ah.” You hear the shuffling of documents through the phone. “Hmm, where did I put that report?”

 “Jumin, you have _papers,_ ” you realize aloud. “You did _research_.“

 He pauses. “I had my assistant do the research.”

 You snicker. “You don’t have an assistant.”

 “Damn.”

 You hear a voice calling for you across the street. Looking up you see Jaehee, smiling broadly and carrying two cups of hot coffee. You wave, pointing to your phone and holding up a single finger, demonstrating you’ll finish the call within a minute.

 “Money isn’t everything, Jumin,” you tell him, as you’ve told him before. “I chose this project with Jaehee because I want to believe in her. I want to create something with her that I can be proud of.”

 He exhales in a defeated tone. “Alright. I will accept your rejection for now. Even though I don’t understand.”

 “You will. One day you’ll have something like this. Something you have to work for. And then you’ll get it.”

 “I wonder if that’s true,” says Jumin. “I’ll talk to you later.”

 “Bye,” you say, but he’s already hung up.

 By now Jaehee has approached the bench. She holds out your coffee--a peppermint mocha--and sits down next to you. The park is quiet this morning. Jaehee had been wanting to try the coffee from the store across the street for a long time, and she seems radiant as she holds her own cup to her lips.

 “Mr. Han?” she asks, gesturing to your phone. When you nod, she gives you a smile. “How many times is it now?”

 You count on your fingers. “Seven, I think?”

Jaehee blows on her coffee. She always tries it black first to appreciate it in its natural state. You thought maybe she’d make fun of you when you first told her you had to take yours with milk, but since then she always brings you your coffee au lait.

 “While I can’t say I approve of his persistence, I must admit I owe this project somewhat to Mr. Han.”

 “Why?” you ask. “Because he was the reason you learned about coffee?”

 She takes a small sip and smiles warmly. “That, and I can’t deny he’s compensated me well over the years. It’s because I rarely had breaks that I never had time to spend the money myself.”

 “That’s sad,” you say, but her expression is contagious and you find yourself smiling too. “But I suppose you’re right. Coffee any good?”

 Jaehee’s eyes flash. “It’s excellent! The flavor is rich, but it’s a bit more acidic than I was expecting. I think I’d like a more mellow flavor for our cafe.”

 Your heart skips a beat. _Our_ cafe. A place just for the two of you. You like the sound of it.

 “Did you know? The darkness of coffee is affected by how long you roast the beans, but there are other things affecting it as well. For example…”

 You’ve always thought Jaehee was cute, but she positively sparkles when she talks about what she likes. You sit and listen to her for a while, drinking your mocha and prompting her with questions about arabica versus robusta and the origins of espresso. It’s fun to learn but you mostly just want to hear her talk.

 Ten minutes later, a gust of wind blows through the park, rustling fallen leaves and abandoned newspapers. Your hair billows out in front of you directly into Jaehee’s face.

 “Sorry!” you exclaim when the breeze has passed. “It didn’t get in your mouth, did it?”

 Jaehee giggles. “That is a problem with long hair, isn’t it? It’s been so long since I cut mine, I’d quite forgotten.”

 With a motherly touch she smoothes out your hair and quickly braids it, tying it with the ribbon that had been wrapped around her coffee cup.

 “I never had time to pay much attention to it, even when I had long hair,” she says wistfully, tugging at the tips of her pixie cut. “Seeing yours dance in the wind just now makes me wish mine would hurry up and grow. I’ve always wanted to try dying it, too.”

 Perhaps it’s the caffeine from your drink, but you feel surprisingly bold. “You’re cute the way you are now, Jaehee.”

 Her golden brown eyes widen ever so slightly as you realize what you’ve just said.

 “Ah, I mean-” you backtrack. “What I meant is don’t feel like you need to change. But if you want to, I’ll support you no matter what.”

 Whew. That was close. There’s no way Jaehee would read too much into it, right? After all, you’ve been more intrepid before. You’ve even gone as far as to call her “my Jaehee” and she didn’t think anything of it. In a moment her shock is gone, replaced with a look of serene happiness.

 “Thank you, MC. I haven’t known you for long but I feel like you’ve always been supporting me.”

It really isn’t fair when she looks at you like that, like you’re her whole world. You want to tell her you’ll keep supporting her, always, forever, but the words won’t come out. You finger the keys in your pocket. One of them is the antique Jaehee gave you at the RFA party, the one that unlocks the door to the future cafe. The other two are small, silver and modern.

You take a deep breath and grab one of them. “Hey, Jaehee…”

 Just then, Zen’s voice cuts through the autumn morning.  Jaehee’s ringtone.

 “Ah!” she says excitedly. “That’s the opening song from _Tei’s Tea Leaf_! I assigned it for business related to the cafe. It must be one of the procurers. Do you mind?”

 “Not at all,” you reply, letting the key fall back into your pocket. Naturally, the cafe comes first.

 As Jaehee negotiates the price of paper goods, you pull out your phone. You have a new message from Yoosung.

  _Yoosung: Did you ask her yet?_

 You text back:

  _MC: Not yet. I keep getting interrupted and losing my nerve._

 As you’re about to put your phone away, Yoosung replies.

  _Yoosung: U have to do it soon!_

  _MC: I will. I’m just nervous._

  _Yoosung: That’s normal lol._

  _Yoosung: Don’t u think Jaehee was nervous when she asked u to be her partner?_

  _Yoosung: Think about what she was feeling at that time. Have more confidence!!_

 You can’t help but grin reading Yoosung’s messages. Zen flirts with everyone so it’s hard to tell when he’s being sincere, Jumin is honestly a jerk and Seven can only be described as an alien. Besides Jaehee, Yoosung is the only member of the RFA you can have serious conversations with.

 Maybe in another universe you might have fallen for him. As of now, you consider him your closest friend after Jaehee. He doesn’t quite know the extent of your feelings for her, but you know when the time comes to tell him, he’ll accept you just the same.

  _MC: Thanks, Yoosung._

 After sending the message, you put your phone away and play with your braid, remembering the sensation of Jaehee’s fingers in your hair. The ribbon still smells like coffee.

 Tonight, you think. You’ll do it tonight.

 

-

-

 

Just like your experience joining the RFA, it doesn’t go according to plan.

 You spend the day with Jaehee, visiting a few suppliers and haggling delivery options. As a result of working for Jumin, she’s able to be persuasive and firm, negotiating contracts that offer the best possible terms while still being polite and maintaining a strong business relationship. You feel inadequate next to her and silently pledge to take some business classes so you can be on the same page.

 Angel that she is, Jaehee always seems to notice when you’re feeling useless and invites you into the conversation for an opinion. Black napkins or white? Should we charge for refills? You’re never sure if you’re giving the right answer, but Jaehee seems to value any input you provide.

 It’s a tiring process but you can’t deny it’s fun. Watching a business grow from scratch is fascinating, and growing it yourself is a surreal experience in itself. Sometimes you have to remind yourself that everything is real: the cafe, RFA, Jaehee. You never figured out who Unknown was, but you thank him every day for the life you are now living.

 You make dinner together in your apartment. The curry you make with Jaehee is delicious, and you’re only a little jealous when reminded that Zen got to try it first. There’s plenty leftover for tomorrow’s dinner as well.

 “Thank you for accompanying me today, MC,” says Jaehee after cleaning up. “It really means a lot to me that we’re doing this together.”

 “I should be the one thanking you!” you counter, nudging her with your elbow by the sink. “I can’t keep up with you at all. You’re so patient with me. I hope someday I become useful to you.”

 Jaehee frowns slightly and places her hands gently on your shoulders. “Please don’t feel that way. You’re the reason I’m here today. It’s enough that you’re by my side.”

 She’s staring at you now. You can feel heat rising in your cheeks. Your skin is hot where she’s touching. You have to look away before you become too obvious.

 “A-ah, that’s right!” you say, turning quickly away. “I have some cake in the fridge! Do you want to share?”

 “I am not good with sweet things,” she says to your back. “And it’s getting late. I should head out now. Goodnight, MC.”

 She seems somewhat disappointed as she walks through the dining area to the front door. Her hand is on the doorknob when you remember your promise to yourself.

 “Wait, Jaehee!”

 She turns around. “Yes?”

 You gulp. You hadn’t actually planned this out. Her eyes are on you again and you can’t think straight. Calm down, you tell yourself. What did Yoosung say? Jaehee was just as nervous when she asked you to be her partner. If she could do it, so can you.

 You reach into your pocket, taking out one of the silver keys but keeping your hand tightly clasped so she can’t see it yet. Twice, you open your mouth but nothing comes out.

 Jaehee looks concerned. “MC, I can’t stay here all nigh-”

 “You can!” you blurt out, and then clap a hand over your mouth. “I mean, not here. I didn’t...ugh!”

 Before she can react, you march over to her and thrust the key into her palm.

 “I uh…” you start. “This is probably pretty premature, but I leased a two-bedroom apartment.”

 Jaehee’s face is unreadable. “For us?”

 You nod. Your heart is pounding. There’s no way she can’t hear it.

 “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I just thought…” You take a deep breath and look at her dead on. “You said you wanted to create a place just for us. I thought it’d be nice if we could live in a place like that too. And I wanted to return the favor.”

 You gesture at the key now gleaming in Jaehee’s hand.

 “You gave me a key when we first met, so now I’m giving one to you. Will you be my roommate?”

  _Dammit Yoosung,_ you think. ‘Roommate’ doesn’t have anywhere near the same amount of impact as ‘Partner.’ You realize how stupid it sounds and wish you hadn’t said it.

 But then the beautiful woman in your doorway smiles and curls her fingers around the key, and you think maybe it was worth sounding a bit stupid.

 “I’ve been waiting for this, MC.”

 “Waiting?” you question. “You knew?”

 “Oh,” responds Jaehee. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have said it like that.”

 “Yoosung!” you yell, shaking your fist in the air mock-aggressively. “That boy can’t keep a secret!”

 Jaehee cocks her head to the side. “Yoosung? I didn’t hear anything from him.”

 “Then who told you?”

 “As it turns out,” she replies with an amused look. “The apartment you rented is owned by Mr. Han’s company. He told me a few weeks ago you had signed for a two-bedroom and had two keys made.”

 Jaehee holds up the key to the light, tracing its teeth with her eyes.

 “I admit,” she says, “that I assumed at the start that you would ask me to move in with you. The rest of RFA is male, after all. But as the days went on, you never brought it up. I wondered if I had been wrong.”

 “You’re not wrong!” you exclaim. “I was going to ask you right away, but I wanted to find the right time. And I was afraid you might think it was a burden or-”

 Jaehee has never been particularly keen on physical affection, so when she throws her arms around your shoulders, you are fairly shocked.

 “MC,” she says, and God, she’s far too close to your ear. “Thank you. I’m so happy.”

 She lets you go. You grin sheepishly at her. “So that’s a yes?”

 “Of course it is.”

 You breathe a sigh of relief. “Well then..”

 “Until the day we call the same place ‘home’...” says Jaehee, opening the front door and stepping outside. “Goodnight.”

 As soon as you’re sure she’s gone, you dash into your room and check your phone. You have four missed calls from Yoosung, as well as a text message:

  _Yoosung: I’m getting nervous! How did it go?_

 You curl up in bed and text back:

  _MC: She said yes!_

  _Yoosung: Congratz!!!_

  _Yoosung: also that sounds kind of like a marriage proposal lol_

  _MC: All in good time._

  _Yoosung: ???_

You snort at his innocence and turn off your phone. Tonight you will definitely have good dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thanks for reading! This is my first fic in the MM fandom because I was unhappy with the friendzone ending in Jaehee's route TT_TT
> 
> After playing Jaehee's arc I was sad that she doesn't quit her job in any of the other routes. I wrote this because I want to acknowledge her ending as the true end. Of course this means I'll have to write other stuff so the other characters are happy, so this is probably the start of a short series. I can't imagine this fic having more than 2 or 3 chapters though so don't expect a novel, haha.
> 
> I appreciate any comments! Love you all and see you next chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

You circle the move-in date on your calendar. Your heart pounds with excitement each time you cross off another day with a red X. You see Jaehee nearly every day now, and after handling cafe business she always seems to find time to discuss the new apartment. She’s somehow bullied Jumin into providing detailed floor plans, and you spend hours debating how you will distribute the furniture.

Jaehee’s work wardrobe was dictated by her previous job, and, as it turns out, doesn’t represent her personal taste at all. She prefers earth tones; deep greens, blues and browns, and has a much more feminine aesthetic when it comes to decorating. You both end up selecting a furniture scheme made of faux-leather in a neutral tan, with large bows made of fabric on the backs of the chairs. Jaehee doesn’t point out how expensive they are. You hope it means she’s prepared to live with you for a long time.

One of the bedrooms is slightly larger than the other. Knowing Jaehee would attempt to selflessly give it to you, you make a powerpoint presentation explaining why she should have it. She concedes the argument, but only after jokingly pointing out every typo and inconsistency in your slides. The extra space in her room will house her writing desk.

Exactly one month after you gave her the key, you finally move in. Your first night, you eat dinner together amongst a forest of boxes strewn throughout the apartment. Jaehee’s head spins at the mess but you tell her to take it slow. You have plenty of time to sort through everything.

By this time Jaehee’s hair has grown into a cute bob. You love how she twirls the strands around her finger when she’s thinking. You love how she tucks them behind her ears.

It takes about a week, but eventually all the furniture is squared away. Jaehee had supplied an enormous plush couch and a flat-screen television, which she had apparently purchased to watch Zen’s musicals in HD. You provided the cooking utensils and fridge.

The boys of the RFA supply the usual mocking commentary all throughout the process, calling you ‘newlyweds’ and asking when the first child is on the way. Jaehee doesn’t seem bothered by it. Secretly this makes you very happy.

The next few weeks are pure bliss. Even the mundane drill of every day is exciting with Jaehee by your side. You eat breakfast together each day and do some work on the cafe. Evenings are spent in, cooking dinner together or, very occasionally, ordering in. (It seems Jaehee developed a taste for takeout while working for Jumin.) Hearing ‘goodnight’ from the woman you love is the most wonderful thing in the world.

Life is good. It almost couldn’t be better.

 

-

-

 

It can, of course, always get worse.

One day you come home from a procurement meeting to discover Jaehee crying silently on the kitchen floor.

“Jaehee!” You run over to her and keel at her side. In her hand is her phone, displaying an email from Jumin.

Before you have time to read it, she closes her fist around it and says in a trembling voice, “V’s dead.”

The news hits you like a ton of bricks. You didn’t know V very well but he had always seemed like a constant to you. He was the backbone of the RFA, the glue that held the group together. Everyone respected his talent and contributions. You can’t believe he’s gone.

“How?” is all you can manage.

Jaehee shudders. “He...had terminal liver cancer.”

“I didn’t know,” you say, lamely. You wrap an arm around her shoulder and hold her to you tightly.

“I’m not sure anyone did,” she mutters into your side. “Jumin sent the email so he must have heard first.”

“I’m sorry,” you offer, and you are, truly. From the brief conversations you had with V, you could tell he was a good person. And to someone like Jaehee, who had few friends to start with, the loss of one of them must be heartbreaking.

Jaehee extracts herself from your embrace, wiping a tear with the back of her hand. “Thank you, MC,” she says. “I think I’m going to go to bed now. Goodnight.”

There are so many questions you want to ask, but you decide it’s better for her to sleep now. Nothing can be done, and even your friendship can’t help her at this time. Instead you wish her sweet dreams and sign in to the messenger to see if you can get some answers.

_ MC has entered the chatroom. _

Yoosung: MC...you’re here.

Zen: I’m guessing you got the news.

MC: Yes. My condolences to everyone.

Yoosung: I didn’t get along with him recently but…

Yoosung: I always thought he’d be here forever.

Zen: that damn Jumin Han...why didn’t he tell us about this earlier?!

MC: Do you think he knew V was dying?

Yoosung: What?? He knew?

_ 707 has entered the chatroom. _

Yoosung: Seven!!

707: hey…

Zen: Seven, you were pretty close with V. Did you know?

707: no

707: V didn’t tell me anything

Zen: MC, how’s Jaehee taking it?

MC: She was crying. She went to bed early.

_ Jumin Han has entered the chatroom. _

Zen: Now you show up! You better answer some damn questions.

Jumin Han: I apologize for not telling you all.

707: so you did know…

Yoosung: When did you find out?

Jumin Han: A few days before the last party.

Zen: What?! That was MONTHS ago!

Jumin Han: I’m sorry. V asked me to keep it a secret.

Jumin Han: He told me about it and asked me to take over as head of the RFA.

Jumin Han: He’s been hospitalized for the last several days and slipped away quietly this afternoon.

Yoosung: Jumin…

Yoosung: This must be hardest for you.

Yoosung: He was your childhood friend after all

Jumin Han: I cannot deny that his death...hurts.

Jumin Han: However, it would be disrespectful to his memory not to continue his RFA duties.

Jumin Han: It’s what V

Jumin Han: ...no, it’s what Rika would have wanted.

_ 707 has left the chatroom. _

Zen: why’d he just leave?

Yoosung: Seven...maybe hes a lot more emotional than he lets on?

Jumin Han: At any rate, I need to begin preparations for the funeral. Please excuse me.

_ Jumin Han has left the chatroom. _

Zen: Quiet Seven and sincere Jumin…

Zen: V’s death is really affecting us all

Yoosung: yeah

Yoosung: But we’ll all get through this together.

Yoosung: after all…

Yoosung: the RFA is a family!

MC: That’s right!

Zen: you two are so cute

Zen: but you’re right. We’ll get through this.

Zen: I’m going to go practice some lines to clear my head.

Zen: Goodnight.

_ Zen has left the chatroom. _

Yoosung: MC…

Yoosung: I know you didn’t know V very well

Yoosung: but I’m sure you understand what he meant to the RFA

Yoosung: So you have to comfort Jaehee, ok?

MC: I will. Thank you, Yoosung.

Yoosung: get some sleep, MC

Yoosung: goodnight

_ Yoosung has left the chatroom. _

 

-

-

 

In absence of anything black in your wardrobe, Jaehee lends you some of her clothes to wear to the funeral. They smell like her, but due to the somber occasion you can’t find any time to feel happy about it.

Jumin delivers a beautiful speech that tells of his long friendship with V, and of V’s contributions to the world. Zen and Seven remain fairly stoic throughout the event, clearly profoundly affected by the proceedings. Even Yoosung, who hadn’t been on the best terms with V, managed to squeeze out a few tears.

You sit silently by Jaehee the entire time. You worry she’ll cry again but she remains composed for the wake. Only her hand trembling in yours betrays her immense sadness.

The burial is held outside. The weather is brisk but sunny, a stark change from the rainy conditions of the previous few days. As a final request, V had elected that all his photographs be auctioned off to raise money for various charities, and Jumin has set up a fantastic display of his entire collection for guests to look at.

Jaehee heads off to use the restroom, so you decide to look at the photos while you wait. Many of them are nature-themed, with flowers, trees and bodies of water represented. A few are of cityscapes or skylines. But the one that catches your eye the most is an enormous framed picture of a blonde woman with verdant eyes. You didn’t know much about V, but you can tell by looking at this photograph that he loved this woman with every fiber of his being.

“That’s Rika,” says a deep voice. Jumin appears from behind you, face the usual expressionless mask. “Beautiful, isn’t it? He was always able to show a person’s true nature in his pictures.”

Jumin stares fondly at the picture. Before you know what you’re saying, it slips out of your mouth. “Are you okay?”

He turns to you, vaguely surprised. It’s clear that he didn’t expect you to be concerned about him.

He doesn’t answer, so you continue. “I mean, your friend just died. Even if you knew it would happen, you must be having a hard time.”

He looks at you in a way you didn’t think he was capable of. Kind, warm, and a little sad. “I think I’m beginning to understand what you meant before. About wanting to create something with someone. About...wanting to believe in them.”

He gestures at the wall of photographs before you.

“V was probably the closest person to me besides my father. I want to take good care of the RFA. I want to make sure it flourishes. For him.”

You nod and smile at him in a way you hope conveys understanding. “You’ll be a great leader, Jumin.”

You mean it, too. Jumin seems to be making a conscious effort to improve himself. This is not the man who denied his assistant any breaks. V’s death seems to have been the final push for Jumin to start moving in the right direction. V would be glad, you decide.

“Thank you, MC,” he says, returning your smile. “I wanted to thank you for all you’ve done for the organization thus far.”

He reaches into his pocket. You wonder if he’s going to give you a gift, but instead he pulls out a business card from his wallet with a phone number scratched onto the back.

“There is a small coffee shop on the first floor of the C&R International building,” he says, handing you the card. “Call the number on the back and tell them I referred you, and you’ve got the job.”

Jumin looks slightly embarrassed, as though he’s not used to being this generous. You accept the card and turn it over, reading the messy scrawl on the back. For someone who owns a diamond pen, his penmanship is awful. What was it that Seven called it? Gap moe?

He clears his throat cautiously. “You’re not obligated to take the position, of course. But I thought it might benefit you to learn more about how various coffee drinks are made.”

“Thank you,” you say, pocketing the card. “I think it’s a great idea.”

“Of course it is. I came up with it, after all.”

“Jumin!” you exclaim, exasperated. “We were having a nice moment and you ruined-”

From Jumin’s mouth emerges a sound you never imagined you’d hear from him; laughter. It’s a laugh that could only come from him, sophisticated and soft. He holds his hand up to his mouth as he does it, as if he’s afraid of being too loud.

“I’m merely joking,” he says. “It’s very like you to take me so seriously.”

The afternoon sun shines down on his black hair, making it look glossy like a still lake. His gray eyes sparkle as he laughs. You have to admit he’s handsome. Perhaps, if he wasn’t such a tyrant, you might have gone after him.

Suddenly there are arms on either side of your waist, and you are pulled backwards into something soft.

“Mr. Han, please stop attempting to steal my business partner.”

Jaehee is behind you, arms crossed across your chest defensively. Her breasts are pressing up against your back and her voice is right in your ear. You’re getting dizzy just thinking about how close she is.

“Ah,” says Jumin, returning rapidly to his usual stoic self. “It seems there’s been a misunderstanding. MC, clear it up for me, won’t you?”

You hear your name, but it doesn’t really register. You’re too focused on how tightly Jaehee is hugging you right now. Her hands are so close to your heart. You hope she can’t feel it pounding in your chest.

“MC?” he says again, louder this time.

“Y-yes!” you snap out of your trance. “Jumin wasn’t doing anything like that!”

“Oh,” says Jaehee, immediately slackening her grip on your torso. “I’ve made a mistake then.”

You step forward and turn around to look at her. She’s quite red and clearly embarrassed.

“Jaehee,” you start, but she cuts you off.

“I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions. I’m going back first.”

She turns toward the parking lot and walks off, not looking back. When she’s out of earshot, Jumin asks, “What was that about?”

“I’m...not sure,” you answer. It’s the truth. Jaehee has only hugged you a handful of times, and she’s not one for casual skinship. You can still feel the pressure of her hands across your chest. You cross your own hands over the place where they were, imagining she’s still holding you tightly.

“Oh ho ho!” comes a mocking tone from behind you. Seven appears from nowhere, closely flanked by Yoosung. All of his earlier solemnity seems to have vanished, replaced with a mischievous grin. “Did I see what I thought I saw just now? The two lovely ladies of the RFA caught in a PDA? How bold!”

“Hey, MC…” mutters Yoosung in an exasperated voice, clearly apologizing for Seven’s boisterous behavior.

“Hi, Yoosung,” you reply, and then turn to the redhead. “Seven, what are you talking about?”

Seven takes on a somehow more animated demeanor. “Of course, I’m talking about you and Jaehee! Well, is it official yet? Is it? Have I won the bet?”

“Bet?” you parrot back stupidly, unable to absorb all of Seven’s comments at once.

“For when you two will get together!” Seven replies, winking.

“That’s not funny…”

Ridiculous, you think, a little bit flustered with this level of teasing. Isn’t Seven taking this joke too far? You look over at Yoosung, hoping to see a smile confirming the absurdity of the conversation. Instead, he lowers his eyes guiltily to the ground.

“No way…” you say, snapping your head back to Seven. “You’re serious?”

“Of course it’s serious!” chides Seven. “Sirius Black! We all bet on month-long blocks, and mine ends next week, so chop chop!” He taps at an imaginary watch on his wrist.

You turn to Yoosung, hoping to God he’s not somehow involved in this. “Yoosung, don’t tell me…”

“I’m sorry, MC!” he says, clapping his hands together and bowing in an apology. “There’s about a thousand in the pool right now, and I need money…”

_ “A thousand?!”  _ you exclaim exasperatedly.

“Seven hundred of that is my own contribution,” adds Jumin. “Although I was the only one who chose to bet  _ against  _ you two becoming a couple.”

“Don’t listen to Jumin,” interrupts Seven. “He’s just a party pooper. The rest of us are rooting for you!”

So it’s not just a low-stakes bet between friends, then. You half expect them all to suddenly shout ‘Surprise!’ and reveal the entire thing as a joke. When that moment doesn’t come, you start thinking about what it means. Most of the RFA believes you and Jaehee could start dating soon. They believe it enough to risk actual money for it. If Jumin contributed seven hundred dollars, that would mean Yoosung and Seven were responsible for the remaining three hundred. If Zen’s in on it too, that’s a hundred from each of them. They’re clearly not just playing around.

You open your mouth. What you want to say is something to the tune of  _ Why would you all risk so much for something so foolish? _

What comes out is, “So you all...think I have a chance?”

Seven swoops in on you at an alarming speed, so his forehead is almost touching yours. In a low voice just loud enough for Jumin and Yoosung to hear, he says, “You’ll admit it then? You like Jaehee?”

He backs off just as quickly, Joining Yoosung in front of you. Both are clearly waiting for an answer.

For the first time, you wonder if this isn’t an elaborate ploy to get you to confess your feelings. Seven is clever, after all. He could have orchestrated this entire thing to get you to reveal yourself. People who experience same-sex attraction are not treated well in this country, and you know half of the RFA members were raised with some religion. Suddenly you feel a deep fear in your stomach. What if everyone here was secretly your enemy? You’ve only known them for so long. How could they really trust you by now? And how could you truly trust them?

But then you feel a warm hand on your shoulder. Jumin is standing next to you, looking down with his steely eyes.

“It’s fine,” he says. As usual, his face betrays no emotion. But his voice is somehow tender, as if he understands the dark thoughts racing through your mind. As if he knows exactly what you’re afraid of and wants you to know you’re not alone. “Everyone is fine.”

And just like that, all your doubts are silenced.

The tears come all at once, welling up and spilling out over your cheeks. Yoosung is there immediately, arms open and waiting, and you throw yourself into them and cry on his shoulder.

“I like her,” you choke out as he smooths your hair down over your back. “I really, really like her!”

“I know,” says Yoosung, and the warmth in his voice only makes you cry harder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This story is getting a bit longer than I expected, so I hope I'm not boring anyone. I'm keeping the chapters short so I can upload them faster and they don't seem like a chore to read.
> 
> Comments are lovely! See you all next chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

You end up sitting cross-legged in the soft grass of the cemetery along with Seven and Yoosung. Jumin doesn’t join you, saying he must tend to his beloved Elizabeth 3rd, but you’re pretty certain he just wants to avoid getting grass stains on the knees of his nice trousers.

“But really, MC,” says Seven after you’ve dried your tears and calmed down a bit. “You thought we didn’t know? You were so flirty in the chatroom!”

You flush with embarrassment, remembering your past boldness. “That’s because _I_ didn’t know how I felt then! I’ve never even fallen in love with a woman before.”

Yoosung makes a face identical to his flustered emoji. “What!?”

“I knew before you, then!” chides Seven. “I had video access to Rika’s apartment, remember? You always looked so happy when you talked to her.”

“I mean,” you start, wondering how far you should go back. “I wasn’t saying what I said just to be nice. I really felt like I wanted to protect Jaehee from overworking herself. I didn’t really get why I was so adamant about it until…”

You trail off to collect your thoughts. Yoosung and Seven are leaning forward towards you as if suddenly enthralled in your story.

You continue, “Until the RFA party. When she asked me to be her partner, I misinterpreted what she said. It was cleared up pretty quickly, but before it was, I just had this image in my mind of us as girlfriends, you know? I hadn’t considered it before, but at that moment, I thought I could do anything to make her happy.”

Yoosung claps his hands to his cheeks, suddenly bright red. “So romantic!”

“What are you blushing for?” Seven jokes, clapping Yoosung on the back.

“It’s just a really sweet story, okay?” he replies, turning back to you. “MC, you’ve got to cherish those feelings! Love like this is super rare! I hope it’ll happen for me someday, too.”

You feel a rush of affection for Yoosung. “It will. I’m sure of it.”

“MC,” says Seven, seeming suddenly serious. “I have an important question for you.”

Somehow you doubt it. “Shoot.”

“Would you say,” he sniggers in the middle of his sentence. “Would you say that Jaehee made you...gaehee?”

It sounds so stupid coming out of his mouth that you can’t help but laugh. Yoosung joins in, and you both laugh until you’re thoroughly winded.

You choke out an answer through the laughter. “M-more like bi-hee, I think. I’m pretty sure I’m still into men.”

“MC’s bi?” comes a voice from above. You look up to see Zen standing over you, white hair glistening against his black clothes. He kneels down next to you and wraps an arm around your shoulder. “Does that mean I still have a chance with you?”

“Hey, Zen,” you say, accustomed to his grabby nature. Seven and Yoosung seem more upset by it.

“Hands off MC!” says Yoosung, holding his hands in an X across his chest. “She’s off limits!”

“Her heart is promised to Jaehee,” supplies Seven. “Which you’d know if you’d been here earlier.”

“Ah, sorry about that,” says Zen, sounding less than apologetic but removing his arm from your shoulder just the same. “A bunch of fans somehow figured out I was here. They ambushed me in the parking lot when I went for a cig break.”

“Excuses, excuses!” fires back Seven.

Yoosung looks quizzically at him. “Zen, you don’t seem surprised by the news.”

“That MC likes Jaehee? I thought it was common knowledge. Isn’t that why we made the bet?”

So Zen _was_ in on the bet. God, how was it possible you were so obvious? How did everyone know before you yourself figured it out?

Yoosung seems to read your mind. “Well _I_ didn’t know. I was just going with that Seven said.”

“You trust Seven too easily,” scolds Zen. “Need I remind you of the coffee incident?”

“Don’t you dare bring that up!” Yoosung exclaims. “And anyway, he was right this time, wasn’t he?”

“I’m always right!” adds Seven. You roll your eyes. He’s a ridiculous human but you have to admit, he’s probably the most intuitive of the bunch.

“There is something I was curious of,” says Zen, getting up and sitting back down, this time in between Seven and Yoosung. With the three of them looking at you it feels like you’re sitting for an interview. “Before I just thought you were gay, but now that I know you like men...why didn’t you go for me? I mean, I flirted with you pretty heavily. You even flirted back sometimes.”

You stare at the white haired man in front of you, unsure of what to say. His red eyes gleam in the sunlight like rubies set into porcelain. Zen truly is exceptionally attractive, and he was by far the most welcoming when you first joined the RFA. Why _didn’t_ you fall for him?

“I think,” you start before even knowing what you’re about to say. “It was because you didn’t seem sincere. I mean, you weren’t really interested in me, right?”

Zen blinks. “I guess that’s true. Flirting is kind of my default.”

“Exactly,” you nod. “I got the sense that you weren’t being totally sincere with me. But Jaehee...right from the start, she told me she didn’t trust me.”

“MC!” Seven gasps in mock-surprise. “You’re a masochist?!”

“That’s not what I meant!” you counter. “Jaehee was upfront with her concerns, but she still offered to help me figure out the job. It was pretty clear that she wasn’t someone who could lie to me. With all the secrets the RFA presented, it was nice to know someone wasn’t hiding anything.”

A light breeze blows through the graveyard, ruffling your long hair. You remember Jaehee braiding it the other day and smile.

“You were charmed by her honesty, huh?” says Zen, and you nod in agreement. He sighs. “Just my luck. Two princesses in the RFA and they’re only interested in each other.”

You chuckle weakly. “I could ask you the same question, though. You already knew Jaehee was your fan. Why didn’t you go for her?”

Zen seriously considers this for a moment. “Hmm,” he says. “It’s true that she’s beautiful and nice, but...I don’t know. She had a great job and graduated from college early. It’s like she was already so far above me that I couldn’t catch up.”

You imitate Seven’s fake-gasp from moments ago. “Zen, don’t tell me you’re the kind of man who fears strong women?”

“Of course not!” he denies, waving a hand in front of his face in dismissal. “It’s just, I like women I can protect. I want to be their knight in shining armor. I’m pretty sure Jaehee could kick my ass.”

Yoosung giggles. “She _is_ a black belt in judo!”

You realize Seven hasn’t spoken for a while, and you look over to see him fidgeting with his phone, a look of concentration evident on his face. “Who are you texting, Seven?”

“Not texting,” he says without looking up. “Aaaaand done! Ta-dah!”

He hands you his phone. On the screen is a webpage with the URL _www.mcandbaehee.com_ and an extremely well-photoshopped picuture of the two of you in wedding dresses.

“What on earth…” says Zen, looking at the webpage over your shoulder.           

“How did you make this with your phone?” adds Yoosung, joining him.

Honestly, if Seven didn’t waste so much time doing pointless things, you’d be impressed with his skill. The image of you in a wedding dress is so well made, you wonder momentarily if he hadn’t dressed you up in your sleep somehow. Not to mention the fact that there isn’t a mobile version of photoshop, meaning Seven had to have created these images well before today.

“Well?” asks Seven, reclaiming his phone. “MC, what do you think? It’s great, right? You can use it to deliver wedding invitations!”

“I think you have too much free time,” you say, secretly trying to remember the URL to look up later. “Not to mention it’s a ridiculous fantasy.”

“Don’t say that!” argues Yoosung, holding fists out in front of him determinedly.  “Maybe you’ll start going out tonight!”

“That’s right,” agrees Zen. “You can’t give up when you haven’t even told her how you feel yet.”

You stare at the grass and frown. Confessing is the one thing you definitely can’t do. You’re Jaehee’s first female friend, after all. How would she feel knowing your true intentions were so far away from friendship? Scared? Betrayed? Maybe she’d just up and leave in the middle of the night. Every imagined outcome seems worse than the last. You’re terrified.

“I can’t,” you say. “Not yet.”

“You never know!” says Yoosung encouragingly. “She might feel the same way.”

You smile at him sadly. “I can’t take that risk.”

Yoosung opens his mouth like he’s about to say something else, but he’s cut off by a text alert noise from Seven’s phone. The redhead opens the message, reads it quickly and sighs audibly.

“Ugh!” he groans. “Mary Vanderwood reminded me I have a ton of work to do at home.”

“Vanderwood? Your maid?” questions Zen.

“Is it really your maid’s place to tell you to get back to work?” asks Yoosung.

Seven ignores the question. “Don’t mind, don’t mind. Anyway, I’ve gotta get going. Yoosung, want a ride back?”

The blond boy’s face lights up like fireworks. “Is that a serious offer? You’re gonna let me ride in one of your cars?”

“Ya,” says Seven, pulling his keys out of his pocket and jingling them for emphasis. “It’s the convertible today.”

As Yoosung fangirls over Seven’s car, Zen stands up, offering a hand to you. “I should get going, too. I don’t suppose you’d like to ride with me on my motorcycle?”

You take his hand and pull yourself to your feet. “Thanks, but I’ll walk.”

“A pity,” he says, but he winks at you nonetheless.

He, Seven and Yoosung exchange their goodbyes with you and start walking towards the parking lot. You watch them leave, feeling a deep debt of gratitude to them. They could have shunned you immediately as soon as they found out you were in love with a woman. They could have spread it around and made your life hell. Instead, they comforted you and cheered you on. Even Jumin, who had seemed so cold before, had caught on to your distress and attempted to help you in his own way. Smiling at their backs, you remind yourself once again how grateful you are to have joined the RFA. You haven’t even known them a year yet, but in the last few months you’ve come to consider them your most important friends.

Just as Yoosung and Seven are about to disappear behind some trees, you see Yoosung turn around and start sprinting back towards you.

“What’s wrong?” you ask when he gets to you, panting heavily and clutching a stitch in his stomach.

“Wanted...to tell you…” he splutters. He takes a moment to catch his breath before continuing. “I wanted to tell you something.”

You nod, telling him to go ahead. His purple eyes gleam in the orange light of the now setting sun.

“When I was younger,” he starts, “I did well in school and I was popular. But I didn’t really do anything to deserve it. I didn’t have a goal or anything I wanted to accomplish.”

He turns his head and looks up at the orange tinted clouds.

“But then I met Rika, and she changed everything about me. She gave me a reason to work hard, and a goal to run towards. When she died…” He drops his gaze to the ground wistfully. “I thought I’d never be able to feel like that again. But then…”

Now he turns to you, beaming broadly.

“You appeared. And I watched you give to Jaehee exactly what Rika gave to me. And I realized that, even without Rika, I can continue working towards the dream she had, because everyone is here supporting me.”

“Yoosung…” you say quietly. He approaches you and takes your hands, gripping them softly in his own.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is that Rika’s appearance in my life was a miracle. And your appearance was another miracle. If someone as normal as me can experience two miracles, who’s to say that you can’t have just one?”

And oh, you really don’t deserve someone as kind and pure as Yoosung as your friend. You feel tears welling in your eyes again and wipe them away with your sleeve before hugging him tightly.

“Thank you,” you say, your head nuzzled into his neck.

He pats your back affectionately, but the tender moment is immediately broken by Seven yelling across the graveyard:

“Yoosung! If you take any longer, I’ll make you pay for gas for my baby!”

Yoosung abruptly exits the hug. “Sorry, MC. That’s not a threat I want to test him on.”

You nod, smiling amusedly. “I understand. See you later, then.”

“Bye!” he replies, running back across the grass.

You watch as his silhouette grows smaller and smaller, finally disappearing along with the rumble of a car engine. You’re alone in the graveyard now. On another evening you might be spooked but right now you feel at peace with the world. You just hope Jaehee made it home safely and will give you a chance to explain.

Just as you turn to leave, your phone buzzes in your pocket. Taking it out, you see a text from Jumin.

_Jumin Han: I’ve texted Assistant Kang about the offer I made earlier. I believe she is aware now that I was not attempting to coerce you into my employment again._

You let out a slow breath you didn’t know you’d been holding. Jaehee would have to understand now, right? You wrap Jaehee’s jacket around your shoulders tightly and leave the graveyard, tapping out a reply message as you walk.

_MC: It’s not ‘Assistant Kang’ anymore!_

_MC: And thank you._

 

-

-

 

You found out early into your partnership with Jaehee that she isn’t naturally a night owl. She’s an early-to-bed sort of person, and only pulled the ridiculous hours she did under Jumin’s employ with the help of massive amounts of caffeine and sheer willpower.

You stop at a convenience store to buy some snacks for dinner, so it’s reasonably late in the evening when you return. You expect Jaehee will be asleep as you walk in.

You are surprised, however, when she greets you from the kitchen table, fingers curled around the stem of a red wine glass.

“Oh, MC,” she says, waving from the table. “I did not know when you would return.”

“You’ve been drinking,” you reply, eyeing the half empty bottle on the table. Based on how much wine is in her glass, she’s had two glasses already and is working on a third.

“Yes,” she agrees. Her speech is normal and she isn’t having any trouble focusing on you. Only her flushed face betrays her weakness to alcohol. “It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but I was so worked up about jumping to conclusions earlier that I couldn’t get to sleep. But I think I am okay now.”

She stands up, only to immediately stumble. Fortunately you rush to her side in time and prevent her from collapsing entirely.

“My apologies,” she says, sitting back down in her chair. “It appears I was more affected than I thought.”

You hold out an arm for her to lean on. “Come here, I’m taking you to bed.”

She looks for a moment like she might protest, but then she obediently wraps an arm around your shoulder. She feels heavier than normal as you lead her to her bedroom. You lay her down on her bed slowly and drape the covers up to her chest. She smiles up at you with warm amber eyes.

“This feels nice,” she says, closing her eyes. “Being tucked in like this.”

You remember her telling you the story of her childhood; how at a young age she lost the support of her parents and was denied basic affection like this. How hard she had to work to convince her adoptive parents she was worth something. You feel a swell of affection for the woman on the bed in front of you and you want nothing more than to give in to your desires and hold her to you.

This is getting dangerous, you think. It’s best to leave now and calm down.

“Goodnight,” you say, attempting to depart in a hurry, but you are stopped by a faint tug on your jacket sleeve. “Jaehee?”

“Would you stay with me?” she asks in a timid voice. “Just for a little while. Please.”

It’s the _please_ that does it, the urgency it contains. You can tell Jaehee wants to tell you something. It looks like you’ll have to control your impulses a little longer.

You poise yourself gingerly on the edge of the bed with your back to Jaehee. Neither of you spend much time in the other’s room, so you feel a little strange being in here, like it’s a violation of Jaehee’s privacy. You wonder if she wouldn’t think the same thing if she weren’t drunk. It’s tidy, but the walls are plastered with musical posters. Zen’s face stares down at you from every angle. It’s a little creepy to be honest. You don’t know how Jaehee can sleep like this every night.

“MC,” she says, snapping your attention away from Zen. “I must apologize for my actions today. When I saw you laughing with Mr. Han, I…”

She pauses, looking for the right words.

“I was so worried. I thought he might have managed to steal you away this time. I thought I would lose the most precious thing I have.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” you tell her.

“There is!” she cries, probably louder than she intended. “I doubted you. I thought you might choose him over me.”

You stare down at your knees, heart pounding in your chest. “I would never do that, Jaehee.”

“I know,” she says, calmer now. “I don’t know why I’ve become like this. It’s abnormal to be this possessive over someone, isn’t it?”

Her voice cracks on the last word. You can feel her trembling slightly through the mattress.

“Tell me...why am I so strange?”

You can’t take it anymore. You won’t let Jaehee suffer like this. You turn around rapidly, slamming a hand on either side of her head and propping yourself over her. The arm she’s crossed over her face is not enough to hide the tears dripping down to her chin.

“Jaehee. Look at me.”

She goes suddenly stiff. “I don’t want you to see me like this.”

“Please.”

After a moment of hesitation, she pulls her arm away from her face. It’s glowing red, a result of a combination of wine, embarrassment and crying. She looks into your eyes reluctantly, and you try to give her a reassuring smile.

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” you say gently. “It’s perfectly normal to feel possessive of your friends.”

She rubs her eyes. “I-is it?”

You nod. “How do you think I felt watching you with Jumin? He got to spend all that time with you and he didn’t even appreciate the work you were doing for him.”

You move one of your hands to her cheek and gently wipe away a tear.

“You don’t have to worry,” you say. “I’ll always be right here.”

The place where your hand is touching is scorching hot. Through her neck you can feel a wild heartbeat. You look into her eyes and see worry and warmth and…

_Desire?_

For the first time it occurs to you that perhaps there’s another reason why Jaehee’s face is red. For the first time you think: _it’s possible._

You open your mouth. “Jaehee-”

Before you can finish she sits up abruptly, throwing her arms over your shoulders and wrapping them around your neck, only to pull the both of you back onto the bed. You are now resting with your head directly atop her breasts.You feel every rise and fall of her chest, every erratic heartbeat. She smells like wine. You feel drunk.

“Thank you, MC,” she says. “Whenever I have doubts, you always quell them for me. I am so fortunate to have met such a wonderful friend.”

You can actually feel the previous moment’s courage being sapped out of your body. Defeated by the F-word again. Should you try again? Has the proper time passed? Jaehee starts talking before you can decide.

“I told you before we met that I would try to analyze these feelings I have for you,” she says softly. “I must admit, I’ve been having so much fun with you every day, I’ve quite forgotten to do that. Maybe someday I finally will.”

You remember what she said over the phone all those months ago.

_I feel something I can’t describe. How should I say this? I’m not so sure now...but well, I might know when my hair grows out to reach my back. Know what this feeling is that I have for you right now._

She exhales softly. You can hear the smile in her sigh. “It’s something I have to find for myself, so please...be patient with me.”

As soon as she says it, you know it to be the truth. It’s meaningless if she doesn’t figure it out on her own. You can only give her time.

You stay like that for a long while, just holding each other. It would be so easy to fall asleep here in her arms, but you know you mustn’t. The alcohol will likely bleach her memory of most of the night, and you definitely don’t want to have to explain to her what you’re doing in her bed the next morning. Besides, you might not be able to control yourself being this close for so long.

You wait until Jaehee’s breathing slows enough to be certain she’s asleep. Slowly, you prise yourself out of her embrace. But you pause to hover over her another minute, examining the beautiful woman in front of you. The skin around her eyes is still swollen, a leftover from the crying. Her cheeks still contain hints of red. Her bobbed hair is fanned out under her head. Careful not to rouse her, you take a strand of it and hold it between your thumb and forefinger.

“Grow faster, dammit,” you whisper.

And, perhaps because you’ve become slightly drunk yourself off of the smell of wine, perhaps because you know she won’t remember, you dip down and plant a kiss on her forehead.

 _Our feelings might be the same, Jaehee,_ you think as you quietly exit the room. _Please realize it soon._

 

-

-

 

You expect Jaehee will sleep in the next morning, but she’s already made breakfast by the time you get up.

“G’morning,” you yawn, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. Despite the exciting occurrences last night, you slept well.

“MC, good morning,” she says, not looking at you. She puts an omelette in front of you as you sit down at the table, making a point of avoiding eye contact. From what you can see of her face, it’s still just as red as last night.

“Jaehee, are you okay?”

She nearly jumps at the question. “F-fine! I might be a bit hungover. I’ll go take some medicine.”

She rushes out of the kitchen and into your shared bathroom. You haven’t had too many hangovers in your life, but you’re pretty sure acting this way isn’t consistent with it.

With a lurch of your stomach it suddenly occurs to you: What if she retained memories of last night?

You shake it off immediately. There’s no way, right?.

You sneak over to the bathroom door, where Jaehee has left a slight crack. Peering in, you see her standing in front of the mirror, staring at her own red face. Her expression is one of panic. To your utmost horror, she raises a hand to her forehead and touches the exact spot where you kissed her.

She totally remembers.

_Shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's kinda long, so the next one will probably be shorter. I'm predicting two more chapters.
> 
> Sorry for the tease! Jaehee is precious and needs to figure things out on her own, so it might take her a while longer. Please stick with her for a little longer.
> 
> Comments are lovely! I'd be happy to hear your thoughts.
> 
> See you all next time!


	4. Chapter 4

Jaehee barely gives you enough time to wish her luck at her meeting before she is darting out the door. 

The moment you are alone, you whip out your phone and text Yoosung. You’ve made a point in the past of not texting him when you know he’s in class, but this, you think, qualifies as an emergency.

_ MC: I screwed up big time with Jaehee. Help me! _

Yoosung must realize you’re serious, because he replies right away.

_ Yoosung: Hang on! I’m calling for reinforcement. _

Reinforcement? This is real life, you want to tell him, not LOLOL. Is he going to ask his classmates for help? You really hope not. The situation is embarrassing enough to have to explain to Yoosung, not to mention any sort of third party.

As you are pondering what he meant, you get a strange message on your phone from Seven:

_ 707 has invited you to AM Chatroom. _

You squint at the message, willing it to yield more information, but all it provides is a link. The number attached to the message is clearly Seven’s, so you suppose you can trust it, but what’s up with this new chatroom all of a sudden? Thinking you’ll just have to find out, you tap the link.

It takes you to a chatroom with a design identical to the one in the RFA app. Seven and Yoosung are already signed in.

_ MC has entered the chat. _

Yoosung: MC! You’re here!

707: Welcome, welcome.

MC: AM chatroom??

707: lolololol

707: Knew you’d get to that right away! So intuitive XD !!

707: The AM chatroom functions like the regular RFA chatroom with a few key differences.

707: The first is that it doesn’t log the chats. So once all members leave a session, it’s gone for good.

Yoosung: That’s why it’s perfect for private conversations like this one!

MC: That’s it?

707: one

707: more

707: thing!!

707: You’re probably wondering what ‘AM’ stands for!

MC: ...

707: Well? Aren’t you dying to know?

Yoosung: it stands for ‘all male’

707: Yoosung!! I was gonna tell her!

Yoosung: you were taking too long!

 

MC: Wait, so you made a chat just for the men of RFA?

707: That’s right! Pretty genius of me, huh?

MC: I bet you just used it to talk about pervy things.

707: Ack!! You saw right through me!

707: although Jumin never used it much and Yoosung is too young for this stuff

707: so it mostly ended up being just me and zen

Yoosung: I’m not too young! I just think it’s gross to talk about lewd stuff in a messenger!

MC: Seconded.

_ Zen has entered the chatroom. _

Zen: Sorry, MC. I’m a hot-blooded man too.

Yoosung: Zen, you’ve already caught up?

Zen: Yes, I read very quickly thanks to my acting skills.

Zen: but Seven, why did I suddenly get an invitation to this chatroom?

Zen: we haven’t used it in months.

Zen: and more importantly, why’s MC here?

Seven: The fair maiden MC needs our help!

Zen: Oh? Well I’m always happy to help a cute girl.

Zen: What did you need?

Yoosung: MC, what happened with Jaehee?

MC: Well, I came home last night and she was kind of drunk.

Zen: Jaehee? Our Jaehee?

MC: trust me on this.

MC: I helped her to bed and she stopped me as I was trying to leave...then she sort of jumped me?

Yoosung: omg!

707: that sounds like the opposite of a problem

MC: Yoosung it wasn’t like that! Or at least it wasn’t supposed to be

MC: I may have kissed her in her sleep

_ Jumin Han has entered the chatroom. _

Jumin Han: I see I have entered at a sensitive time.

MC: JUMIN WAIT NO IT WASN’T LIKE THAT

Zen: holy shit

707: what timing! Lololol

MC: it was just on the forehead! I’m not a pervert!!

MC: she was just so cute I couldn’t help myself...

Yoosung: it’s not that I don’t believe you but…

Yoosung: why is this such a big deal?

707: ya. Seems like she wouldn’t remember it anyway

MC: that’s the problem. She definitely does.

MC: This morning she wouldn’t even look me in the eye.

MC: she practically ran out the door.

Zen: Are you sure she wasn’t just late?

MC: Zen, do you even know Jaehee?

Yoosung: yeah...she’s never been late for anything

Yoosung: she’s usually at least 20 minutes early

Jumin Han: I can confirm that she was always in my office before I told her to be there.

Zen: I guess it was a stupid thing to say

Zen: But anyway, MC…

Zen: Isn’t it good that Jaehee’s a little more aware of you now?

MC: ‘aware’ is fine but I didn’t want her to be afraid of me!

Yoosung: I’m sure she’s not afraid!

707: ya MC ur like a teddy bear

MC: That doesn’t make me feel any better...

Zen: Sorry! Bad timing but someone’s at the door.

Zen: I gtg. Good luck, MC!

_ Zen has left the chatroom. _

Yoosung: T_T I should probably get back to class too

Yoosung: My professor keeps looking over at me

MC: ok, bye Yoosung

Yoosung: Just talk to Jaehee! I’m sure she’ll understand!

_ Yoosung has left the chatroom. _

Jumin Han: While I have no advice to offer you on the matter

Jumin Han: I did want to ask you about my earlier proposal, MC.

707: !!! u can’t propose to MC !! she’s jaehee’s wife !!~

Jumin Han: -_-

Jumin Han: Not that kind of proposal. The coffee shop.

MC: Right! The one at your building.

Jumin Han: It seems one of the regulars quit and the manager could use some help this afternoon.

Jumin Han: Do you happen to be free?

MC: Anything to keep my mind off this mess.

Jumin Han: Alright. When can you be ready?

MC: Give me 10 minutes.

Jumin Han: I’ll send a car over at once.

Jumin Han: Well then, bye.

_ Jumin Han has left the chatroom. _

MC: Ugh, Seven, what should I do?

707: confess! <3 <3 <3

707: jk jk

707: that’s what I’d say if I had any stake in the matter

707: but my window for the bet is over so I don’t really care either way

MC: So cruel! I thought you were rooting for me.

707: I am!! Jk on the jk

707: oops, Mary Vanderwood is calling me

707: gtg 

_ 707 has left the chatroom. _

You sigh and flop over onto your mattress. That was the least helpful chat you’ve ever been in. Four adult men and none of them had any idea what to do. Have you finally screwed up so royally that nothing can be done to fix it?

Feeling a sudden spark of determination, you roll your legs off the side of the bed and stand up, stretching your arms high. “Okay,” you say aloud in self-motivation. “No sense worrying about it now! Let’s get to work!”

You open your closet and select an outfit. Jumin didn’t tell you if there was a dress code, but you assume you should be wear something nice nonetheless. You select a pink sweater and slacks, and then head into the bathroom to brush your hair, setting it up into a high ponytail for work. You drape your purse over your shoulder just as Jumin’s driver calls your name through the door.

Don’t think about what’s waiting for you when you return, you remind yourself. Think about learning how to make coffee. For the cafe. For Jaehee. For the special place of your own.

 

-

-

 

VISUAL NOVEL MODE: ZEN

_ Who could that be?  _ thinks Zen as he makes his way to the door. He had heard knocking moments before, but he wasn’t expecting anyone.  _ A fan, perhaps? _

Upon opening the door, he finds that thought isn’t technically wrong. “Jaehee?”

The brunette woman is standing before him nervously, fingers twirling around her chin-length hair. She seems smaller than usual.

“I hope I am not disturbing you,” she says without looking at him.

“No, no,” says Zen, dismissing the thought with a wave of his hand. “Come in.”

He sits Jaehee down at his kitchen table and offers her tea, which she graciously accepts. She doesn’t speak as it’s being made. He wonders if her sudden appearance is related to what MC was saying in the chatroom earlier.

“Sorry I don’t have any coffee,” says Zen, handing her a steaming cup. “Now, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

Jaehee shifts uncomfortably in her seat. “I would appreciate some...advice.”

“Advice? On what?”

She bites her lip. “Friendship.”

_ Yup _ , thinks Zen.  _ This is definitely about MC _ .

“I had a strange dream last night,” Jahee continues. “I dreamed that MC came into my room and hugged me and…”

She brings her hand up to just above her eye.

“K-kissed me. On the forehead.”

_ Well, this certainly makes things a whole lot easier. I’ll just tell Jaehee it was definitely a dream and then everyone can move on, right? _

“And now…” Jaehee continues. “I can’t stop thinking about it. About wanting to hug her and kiss her too.”

_ Oh.  _

“What should I do, Zen?” she asks. The teacup she holds in front of her lips does nothing to hide the growing redness in her cheeks.

_ Oh man,  _ he thinks.  _ I thought MC was exaggerating before when she said she might scare Jaehee by confessing, but it looks like she was right. If Jaehee’s this oblivious then jumping right to it would just terrify her. _

Zen clears his throat and considers carefully what to say. “What are you asking, exactly? Isn’t it ok to act on your impulses sometimes?”

Jaehee’s practically glowing red now. She takes a nervous gulp of tea before answering. “But it’s strange, right? Wanting to do these things with another woman.”

“Whoa, whoa!” replies Zen, moving his hands in a ‘calm-down’ style gesture. “It’s not strange  _ because  _ you’re both women! Female friends kiss and hug each other all the time.”

“They do?” Jaehee asks, and her eyes are filled with such hope that Zen’s heart flutters a little.

“Sure they do,” Zen confirms. “Don’t you watch TV dramas?”

Jaehee shakes her head. “Not usually. If I’m going to watch something it’s typically one of your musicals.”

Zen isn’t able to stop himself from feeling a little flattered.

“Anyway, I’m sure MC is fine with it,” he says. She hugs the rest of us a lot, you know. I don’t think she’d mind a little extra from you now and again.”

“I see,” she says, grinning into her teacup. Zen has always thought Jaehee was beautiful, but in this moment he can’t deny she’s exceptionally cute as well.

_ People really are the most attractive when they’re in love,  _ he thinks.  _ But sorry, MC. I can’t be the one to tell her. _

She drains her teacup and stands up, bowing slightly with gratitude. “Thank you for having me over. I apologize for troubling you.”

“No trouble,” says Zen, taking her cup and bringing it to the sink. “I’m honored you came to me for help.”

“You were the first person I wanted to ask. You are exceptionally good at handling people. And besides MC...”

Jaehee gives him a kind smile.

“You are my closest friend in the RFA.”

Zen wouldn’t be surprised if he’s blushing himself now. He finally understands what MC’s going through. If Jaehee says honest and adorable stuff like this all the time with no warning, it’s no wonder MC fell for her. And Jaehee doesn’t seem to be aware of how charming she is at all.

Zen sends her off with a light hug. “Let’s make curry together again sometime.”

She nods. “I’d like that.” She shoots him a final grin and a soft wave, and leaves through his front door.

When she’s out of sight, Zen pulls out his phone and fires off a warning text to MC. He knows she’s not going to be happy with what he’s unleashed on her, but what else was there to do?

_ Sorry, MC,  _ he thinks for the second time today.  _ You’re going to have to wait a little longer. After all… _

He sighs and turns on the water in the sink, rinsing out Jaehee’s teacup. 

_ If you get together too soon, I’ll lose the bet! _

 

-

-

 

_ Zen: Jaehee just came over and I have good news and bad news. _

_ Zen: The good news is that she thought last night was a dream so you’re off the hook for that. _

_ Zen: The bad news is...I might have friendzoned you harder than we both thought possible. _

Friendzoned? you think, checking out with the security guards at the C&R building. Do people still use that term unironically?

Zen had sent the text four hours ago, but you were in the middle of a coffee frenzy at the time and couldn’t check your phone. Jumin had failed to point out how busy the coffee shop was here, and you’d spent less time learning to make coffee drinks and more time just trying to keep your head above water.

Your boss turned out to be a kind young woman, barely older than you but built more broadly. She was loud and boisterous but she did her job well, and the businessmen and women all received their orders quickly under her watch. Thanks to her, you can make a decent espresso now and you’ve been told lattes are next.

Despite the exceedingly busy atmosphere, the job ended up being so fun that you forgot about the situating waiting at home. That is, until you saw Zen’s texts.

If it’s as Zen said in the first part of his message, Jaehee thinks the kiss was a dream. That means you’re in the clear, right? But the second part of his message confuses you. What could he mean by that?

You ponder it the entire ride home. Before you know it, you’re back in front of your apartment door. On the other side, the answer is waiting.

What’s the worst that could happen? you ask yourself, and then immediately regret it. Maybe she’s figured out it wasn’t a dream. Perhaps all her things are already packed in neat stacks of boxes, and she’s planning on moving out this very night. Or else she’s drunk again, waiting in tears to have another heart to heart. You can’t imagine a situation where this goes well.

You certainly don’t expect her to kiss your cheek as soon as you walk in.

But this is exactly what happens. “Welcome home, MC!” she says as you stare at her, dumbfounded. “Jumin told me you worked at the coffee shop today. How was it?”

“You’re...not still upset?” you manage, still in awe at her sudden affection.

Jaehee shakes her head. “I apologize for the way I behaved this morning. I had a momentary misunderstanding.”

She buzzes around you, taking your coat and patting down your hair, which had become slightly tangled from work. You remain where you are, unable to move. Just what is going on?

“The truth is, I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time,” she says, beaming and pressing a finger to her own cheek, indicating the kiss. “I thought perhaps I wasn’t supposed to. But Zen told me that it’s ok for female friends to do this sort of thing.”

To your utmost horror, she wraps her arms around your back in a hug and nuzzles her head in the crook of your neck. 

“I’ve always thought it was inconvenient, but for the first time, I’m glad I was born a woman. I never knew that friendship between girls could be so warm…”

There’s no choice but to cautiously return her hug. You have no idea how to deal with this situation, but one thing is certain: Zen is  _ dead. _

She breaks away, smiling broadly, and heads to the kitchen. “What do you want for dinner?”

“Whatever is fine,” you mumble, pulling out your phone and starting a text to Zen.

_ MC: What fresh hell is this?! _

 

_ - _

_ - _

 

Everyone reacts differently when you both walk into the restaurant holding hands.

Yoosung blushes and claps a hand over his mouth. Seven brandishes finger guns, and even Jumin has the courtesy to look slightly shocked. Zen avoids your eyes, staring guiltily down at the table setting.

Before you sit down, Jaehee announces her intent to use the restroom. As soon as she’s out of earshot, Seven and Yoosung lean forward enthusiastically. 

“Has it finally happened?” asks Seven in anticipation. “Have our princesses grown up into queens?”

“Not even close,” you sigh.

“What?!” exclaims Yoosung exasperatedly. “But you-”

“I  _ know,”  _ you say. “I’m painfully aware. Thanks to Zen, Jaehee thinks that’s perfectly normal friend behavior.”

You spend the next several minutes relaying the last few weeks to the guys. Jaehee has taken to kissing your cheek in the morning before work and at night when you get home. She hugs you freely now and cuddles when you watch a movie or spend time on the couch. She’s even slept next to you a few times when she’s fallen asleep in your bed. You don’t know how much more you can take.

“I’m sorry!” whines Zen, slumping over his place setting. “I didn’t know she’d take my advice to heart this much.”

Yoosung looks concernedly over at you. “I don’t think girls holding hands is that weird. But, I mean...when you look at her face…” He blushes and is unable to continue.

“What this cutie is trying to say,” Seven picks up, putting an arm around Yoosung’s shoulder and shaking him. “Is that she’s definitely in love with you! It’s totes obvious!”

“Yeah,” you agree, and it feels nice to say it aloud. “I think she is, too. But she needs to figure it out for herself.”

“You could give her a little push,” suggests Seven, holding up his thumb and forefinger as a measurement. 

You scowl. “What happened to ‘I don’t care because I’m not in the bet anymore?’”

Seven flails his arms like his struggling emoji. “Urk, I told you, I was kidding! I’m totally for you and Baehee. Haven’t you been checking the website?”

You shake your head, vaguely remembering the wedding photo Seven showed you in the graveyard. Scoffing, he pulls out his phone and quickly types in a URL.

“I’ve been changing the outfits every day!” he says, showing you an uncomfortably well-photoshopped picture of you and Jaehee in summer dresses. “I guess you’ll have to check the archive if you’re missing them live.”

“Jeez, Seven,” you say. “If you have enough time to do that, help me come up with a way to make Jaehee realize how she feels.”

You were mostly joking, but Seven seems to take the idea to heart, stroking his chin with his thumb and pulling a contemplative face.

“Well, if we can’t tell her ourselves,” he starts. “We’ll have to catalyze a revelation on her end!”

“Didn’t she freak out when you talked to MC at the funeral, Jumin?” asks Yoosung.

“She did seem rather possessive,” the businessman agrees.

“Jealousy is a good motivator,” nods Zen.

Seven slams his hands down on the table. “Jealousy it is! Commence operation ‘Have MC date one of the RFA members!’”

“What?” you ask reflexively. 

“Think about it,” says Seven. “You’re comfortable with all of us, right?”

You nod.

“If Jaehee thinks you’re interested in someone else, she might be spurred to act!” he continues. “But if you’re gonna fake a relationship, it might as well be with someone you’re friends with.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” says Zen. “But who’s she gonna go out with? Me, right?”

Seven holds up his hands in an X. “No, no! Jaehee’s already against you dating anyone so you don’t ruin your acting career. That’s too many variables.”

Zen pulls a pouty face. “If not me then who?”

Seven smirks. “I will bear the cross if I must.”

Zen laughs. “You? Jaehee would never believe it! And when do you even have time for a girlfriend?”

"How could you say such a thing when I selflessly took off time from work to organize this catch-up dinner?"

"Aren't you just avoiding your maid by being here?" Zen fires back.

Seven sulks in his chair. “Well, that disqualifies Jumin for the same reason, then. He’s too busy to have a lovelife!”

Jumin rolls his eyes. “I’ve already got Elizabeth 3rd. I don’t need another woman.”

“Then,” says Zen, clearing his throat. “That leaves only one possibility.”

Everyone turns their eyes to Yoosung, who points at himself. “M-me?”

Seven claps his hands together. “That’s it! We’ll have MC go out with Yoosung. You two are best friends, right?”

“Yes,” you concede. “But I’m not sure-”

“It’s perfect!” interrupts Seven. “Best friends to lovers! That’s like, a fanfic trope or something!”

You shoot Yoosung a panicked look. You don’t want to deceive Jaehee like this. Fortunately, he looks to be on the same wavelength. He puts up his hands in protest. 

“No way!” he says. “There’s got to be a better way to get to the same goal, right?”

“I support it,” says Jumin, pulling out his phone and beginning to text up a storm. “If MC and Yoosung were to get together officially, I would win the bet. I’ll tell my staff to begin preparations for the first date. How do you both feel about Italian?”

“Jumin!” cries Yoosung desperately. “You’re already rich! You don’t need to win the bet.”

“Ah, of course, French is more romantic.” He continues tapping on his phone.

“Has everyone gone crazy?” you ask. “Zen, you’re not in favor of it, right?”

Zen considers it for a moment. “I can see why you don’t want to try it, but I’m for it. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“What are you all discussing?” comes a voice from behind you. Jaehee has returned from the bathroom.

Seven jumps in. “We’re talking about how MC should go out with Yoosung!”

Perfect, you think. Jaehee will put a stop to this once and for all.

But her dismissal doesn’t come. Instead, to your utter disbelief, she nods and says exactly what you don’t want to hear:

“I think it’s a good idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said last chapter this was gonna be a shorter chapter but that didn't happen, haha. The last chapter needs to start in a certain place so I had to add the extra scene at the end here instead of the beginning of the next.
> 
> Anyway, the next chapter is the last! I'll probably post a small epilogue as well but it shouldn't come too long after chapter 5.
> 
> I hope you're all enjoying watching over my gay wife. She's so precious. Be sure to keep cheering her on in the end!
> 
> Comments are lovely! See you all next time.


	5. Chapter 5

The weekend finally arrives. Jaehee is taking a rare day off from cafe preparations, and she’s still in her pajamas when you head for the door. You stand in the doorway for a long time before you realize you’re waiting for a good morning kiss that won’t come.

That’s right, you think, remembering back a few days ago, after dinner with the other RFA members. Jaehee had given you her usual goodnight peck on the cheek before announcing that it would be the last.

_ “It’s fine if you’re single, but I think it’s better to do these sorts of things with your significant other,”  _ Jaehee had said, smiling helpfully.  _ “I hope you and Yoosung are very happy together.” _

_ Aren’t you supposed to be in love with me? _ you think as you stare at the woman on the sofa. She’s curled up with a cushion and a novel, chestnut hair now to her shoulders and tucked into a neat ponytail at the nape of her neck.  _ You could’ve put up a little more protest, you know! _

But she hadn’t at all. You had thought she would’ve been against it, but from the start she was very supportive of your ‘relationship’ with Yoosung. 

_ “You two have always been close,”  _ she had said when you’d gotten home that night.  _ “It’s only natural that something like this would happen eventually. I promise to support you no matter what.” _

Jaehee’s version of support turned out to be a bar on all forms of physical contact. You hadn’t realized how much you enjoyed her constant presence until it was gone. True, it had been painful knowing she didn’t understand how you felt, but at least you knew such blessings were yours and yours alone. Now she seemed farther away than ever.

_ Jaehee, you dummy.  _ You glare daggers into the back of her head.  _ Yoosung isn’t the only one I’m close with. Stop counting me out because I’m a girl! _

You wonder if you hadn’t misinterpreted things before. True, everyone agreed that it seemed like she was into you, but what if Jaehee sincerely just wanted to be weirdly affectionate friends? You could live with that, right? Anything is better than the aloof coldness you’ve received for the past few days. 

Jaehee must notice your eyes on her because she turns to look at you. “Is everything alright?”

“Y-yeah,” you reply, not sure why you’re hesitating in the first place. “Just wondering if I forgot something for work.”

Jaehee smiles affectionately. “Are you nervous for tonight? It’s your first date with Yoosung, after all.”

“How could I forget?” you say, hoping the sarcasm isn’t too detectable. Jumin had made a reservation at the restaurant on the top floor of the C&R building. You were to report there after your shift to meet Yoosung, where the two of you would no doubt be annoyed silly with all the ridiculous embellishments Jumin had planned for the evening. Last you’d heard, the entire restaurant had been booked for the event, and there would be live music via string quartet.

“Have a good time, MC,” says Jaehee, waving you out. 

You say goodbye and exit the apartment, sighing to yourself. It’s just this one night. Yoosung is your best friend, and he isn’t into it either. You’ll both enjoy some free food and nice company, and then the next day you’ll calmly explain to everyone that it just isn’t going to work out. That’s the plan you and Yoosung have agreed on, at least.

You arrive at the C&R building miraculously on time, despite having left several minutes late. You get a text from Seven as you walk in.

_ 707: Good luck tonight! _

Damn Seven! Jumin hasn’t been helpful, but Seven’s the real troublemaker here. Why couldn’t he just keep his nose out of it? The whole point was that Jaehee would become jealous, but after it backfired he had refused to take any sort of blame for it.

As you approach the small coffee shop in the center of C&R’s main floor, you notice an enormous line at the counter. Your boss is struggling to keep up with the morning rush. Pulling on your apron and tying up your hair, you try to push this whole dating nonsense to the back of your head.

Work. Dinner. Explanation. And then back to life with Jaehee. It doesn’t even matter that you haven’t made any progress. All you want is for things to return to normal.

 

-

-

 

You make it through the rush, but things stay reasonably busy throughout the whole day. 

Over the last few weeks you’ve learned how to make nearly the entire menu. You can describe the difference between sixteen different coffee drinks, and your latte art is becoming more refined by the day. You consider your growth a high in an otherwise terrible week.

You’re adding whipped cream to an iced mocha when you think you see a flash of blond hair by the main entrance. It couldn’t be...could it?

“MC!” shouts your boss, snapping you out of your contemplation. 

You narrowly avoid overflowing the cup, and hand it to a sharply-dressed woman, who is slightly perturbed at the mountain of whipped cream topping her beverage.

“What’s got you so distracted?” asks your boss as the customer leaves. “You’re usually very on top of things.”

“Sorry,” you say, scanning the floor once again. “I thought I saw someone I knew.”

“Could it have been me?” says a voice to your left. You turn around. Standing at the counter is Yoosung, looking very out of place in his usual hoodie and khakis. 

“What are you doing here?” you ask. “How did you get past security?”

“Some of the guards recognized me from the hacker thing!” he says excitedly. “I feel underdressed though. People keep staring at me.”

You feel a hand on your shoulder. “MC, Is this your boyfriend?”

You start denying it, but Yoosung takes the lead. 

“That’s right! I’m Yoosung Kim. It’s very nice to meet you!” He offers his hand to your boss, who shakes it. “MC and I have a date tonight, but I wanted to ask her a few things first. Could I borrow her for a moment?”

You think your boss will dismiss the idea, but instead she presses her hands to her cheeks and flushes. “Ah, young love! Very well, MC. Take ten.”

You sit down with Yoosung at a table in the shop’s seating area. “Thanks for the quick thinking!” you tell him.

He grins at you and shrugs. “No big deal! Lying is easier when some of it’s the truth. I really did want to talk to you before the date.”

“Oh? About what?”

Yoosung lowers his voice. “Well, I was thinking...what if we changed the location?”

You cock your head to the side. “You mean, have it somewhere other than the restaurant?”

He nods. “If we’re gonna be forced into doing something like this, we may as well do it on our own terms, right? We’ve been friends for a while, but we haven’t hung out much by ourselves. There’s so much I want to do with you! We could go to my favorite arcade, and there’s a really good ramen shop around there! Also there’s this awesome place for ice cream…”

You consider it for a moment. “That’s…”

His face falls. “You don’t want to?”

“No no no, it’s not that! Anything is better than that stuffy old restaurant. I want to have fun with you, too!”

His face lights up. “Yay!”

“The problem is, Jumin’s gone through all this trouble, and you know how stubborn he is. Plus, it’s not like we can barge into his office and demand-”

Yoosung suddenly looks like he’s seen a ghost. He holds up a trembling finger, pointing to somewhere behind you. You turn around. Jumin is standing behind you. In his arms is a neatly folded garment bag.

“Just what is it you want to demand of me?”

“Ah, nothing,” you deflect. “Are you here for coffee? You usually just send down one of your staff.”

“I’ve come to retrieve you for your date,” he says. “I did not expect Yoosung to be here as well. I was originally going to have Driver Kim pick him up, but it seems that won’t be necessary.”

“Isn’t the reservation not for another hour?” you ask.

“That’s true. But I wanted to allow time for my staff to prepare you. You weren’t planning on attending in that outfit, were you?”

He unzips the garment bag and pulls out the most garish blue gown you’ve ever seen. He doesn’t seriously expect you to wear that, does he?

“I have selected this myself,” he says, waving a hand in front of the dress. “Elegant, is it not? It’s almost as lovely as Elizabeth 3rd.”

Yoosung holds up a hand to whisper into your ear. “I see what you mean.”

You whisper back. “Yeah, I don’t think we’re going to change his mind.”

He continues, “MC, you trust me, right?”

You glance quickly to Jumin, who is stroking the dress fondly, before answering. “Of course.”

“Ok. Follow my lead.” Without warning, Yoosung grabs your wrist  and pulls you from your seat. “Run!”

You have no choice but to follow suit, sprinting across the floor to the main entrance. 

“Security!” shouts Jumin, but the guards clearly recognize Yoosung and don’t react in enough time. You easily pass through the checkpoint and out into the street.

Yoosung directs you around the first corner. “This way!”

You follow a winding path through downtown, cutting across several lawns and through back alleys. A few times you think you spot some of Jumin’s men chasing after you, but by the time you look back to check, you’ve outrun them again.

Finally you reach a block of shabby but clean-looking apartments. Yoosung tugs out a keyring from his pocket. His hands shaking from exhaustion, be finally forces it into the lock and opens the door before collapsing unceremoniously against a kitchen chair.

“I think...hah...we lost them…” he pants before grabbing a bottled tea from the fridge and draining it. He hands one to you too, and you gulp from it gratefully.

“Don’t the guards know where you live?” you ask.

“Yeah,” he concedes. “But I took a roundabout way that would make it seem like I was going to my school. It’s a big campus, so they’ll hopefully search it for a while before they notice we’re not there.”

Yoosung isn’t given enough credit for being clever, you think. He’s gullible and slacks off, but he’s sharp when he needs to be.

“Aw, man!” He slaps a hand on the kitchen table. “I can’t believe I talked about doing all those fun things with you and then brought you to my lame apartment!”

You chortle at his disappointment. “It’s ok, at least we got out of Jumin’s ridiculous plot. Anyway, I’m sure we can have a nice romantic dinner with what you’ve got in your-”

You open the pantry, only to discover it contains two packets of top ramen and a bag of chips.

“Ah.” You shut the pantry. “Seems I was mistaken.”

“I’m so sorry!” Yoosung cries. “I didn’t think anyone would be coming over so I didn’t buy anything.”

You wave a hand to tell him not to mind. “We can just get delivery, right?”

He shakes his head. “I’m not taking any risks with opening the door right now.”

That’s probably for the best, you think. Oh well. If you’re going to be spending your date night here, you might as well get comfortable. You kick off your shoes by the door and set off to explore the apartment.

It’s small and cluttered, but Yoosung seems to take good care of his things. There isn’t dirty underwear on the bathroom floor like Seven joked about sometimes, and there aren’t any dishes in the sink. Yoosung seems to have graduated to adulthood nicely.

There’s a shut door at the end of the hallway. You approach it and start to open it when Yoosung catches on.

“Wait! That’s my room!” he calls, racing in front of you. He opens the door, slips inside and practically slams it in your face. From inside the room you hear a muffled, “Hang on a sec!”

There are sounds of many items being relocated before Yoosung reemerges.

“I knew you were secretly messy,” you tease.

Yoosung pouts. “It really is just this one room! Promise!”

He holds his arm out, gesturing for you to come inside. You do so. He’s clearly pushed a large quantity of things--perhaps the aforementioned underwear?--into his closet, but otherwise the floor is clear. It’s a fairly bare room with a bed and a star-shaped rug. On a wooden desk is a PC clearly set up for gaming. A few stuffed animals sit atop various spaces.

“I guess this is the first time you’re seeing my apartment,” he says, sitting down on a green chair in front of the computer. “Sorry the timing is bad.”

“It’s as good a time as any,” you tell him. “Since we’re in for the night, got any ideas for what we can do?”

He scans the room for something, when his eyes meet with the monitor. “Well, I couldn’t take you to the arcade, but I have an extra avatar on LOLOL if you wanted to try it?”

You shrug and approach the computer. You’re not a game fanatic like Yoosung but you  _ have  _ always wanted to see what the fuss was about.

“It’ll be easier like this,” he says, scooting to the side of the green chair and patting it. You sit down, just barely managing to squeeze on next to him. 

You’re very close to him, but you’re surprised at how natural it feels. Being this close to Jaehee makes your heart leap, but Yoosung feels comfortable and familiar. You remember his earlier act of bravery escaping Jumin and smile. As LOLOL boots up, you gently put your head on his shoulder.

“Tired?” he asks.

“No,” you say. “I’m just really glad it was you Seven tried to set me up with.”

“Don’t say stuff like that out loud!” he says, blushing slightly. “But I’m glad too.”

From the title screen he goes to character select. His default character appears to have a very high level, but he scrolls past it to a much weaker avatar.

“Here. I haven’t played with this one yet. Let me show you the controls…”

 

-

-

 

You spend the next hour becoming familiar with the world of LOLOL. It turns out to be pretty fun, and you appreciate Yoosung’s patience with you as you die repeatedly from a steady onslaught of low level monsters.

“There’s kind of a learning curve,” he says as you’re reincarnated at the checkpoint for what seems like the hundredth time. “Once you get the hang of it, all MMORPG’s are pretty similar.”

You don’t know what those letters mean. Before you can ask, some rat-like creatures start rushing your avatar. Damn it, why the hell did you choose archer class? In the middle of firing arrow after arrow, your phone vibrates in your pocket at the same time as Yoosung’s.

You continue trying to defeat the monsters as Yoosung checks his phone. “You should pause. Seven sent us something.”

You do as instructed and check your phone. Indeed, there’s a message from Seven with a photo attached.

_ 707: heard about ur flight from Jumin! Hope u lovebirds are having fun!  We thought jaehee might be lonely so the rest of us took your dinner reservation! _

You tap the screen to enlarge the photo. Jaehee is sitting in between Zen and Seven, both with their arms around her, Jumin brooding behind them in the back. Jaehee’s eyes are wide, like she only just realized the picture was about to be taken. Thinking about Seven, he probably just handed his phone to a waiter and had him take it without warning.

“Looks like they’re having fun,” says Yoosung. He puts an arm around your waist and draws you into his chest, holding up his phone above your heads. “Smile!”

The camera on his phone clicks. You definitely were not smiling.

“What was that for?” you ask as he sends the picture to Seven.

“Just returning the picture,” he says, shrugging. “We’ve gotta show Jaehee how close we are, right? After all, making her jealous was the entire point of this date…”

That’s true, you think, but Yoosung looks suddenly sad. 

“Yoosung…” you start. “I know that’s how it started, but you know I like hanging out with you, right?”

He looks up at you. The light from the monitor is reflected in his purple eyes.

“It’s true that the love I have for Jaehee is different,” you continue. “But you’re my best friend, and you’re just as important.”

He smiles wistfully at you. “Thanks, MC.” He stands up and sits back down on the edge of his bed, facing you.

“You, um...you know I used to like you, right?”

Your heart freezes in your chest. You had no idea. 

“Or at least,” he continues as you struggle to think of a response. “I thought I did. It was the other guys in the RFA who helped me realize I was just transposing my feelings for Rika onto you.”

He suddenly looks taken aback.

“Ah! Not that I was in love with my own cousin or anything!” He flails his arms for emphasis. “It’s just, she was a magician to me. She had powers nobody else had. And when you showed up, it started feeling like Rika was still around, and I became happy. I mistook that happiness for romantic feelings.”

His gaze drops to the floor.

“I know now that you’re not Rika. You’ve got a lot of similarities; you’re kind, pretty, smart...but when it comes down to it, you’re two different people. I’m sure of that now. And you’re just as specialt to me as Rika was.”

He looks back up at you, beaming, eyes shining.

“So, MC! Thanks for being my friend. I know this whole date thing backfired, but I hope we can hang out again, and I’ll keep supporting you and Jaehee!”

You begin to tear up at his words. You get out of the chair and sit next to him on the bed, embracing him in a warm hug. “I’ll support you too when you find someone you like!”

“I know you will! Thanks!” he says cheerfully, returning the hug. “In fact, I might have already-”

Suddenly the door to Yoosung’s room creaks open, revealing the person who, time and time again, has proven to have the worst possible timing.

Jaehee is standing in the doorway, her face completely blank.

“Apologies. I appear to have interrupted something.” Before you have time to react, she closes the door softly. 

Yoosung lets you go and shoots you a look with his eyebrows quirked. “Why is she-”

The door opens again, this time so forcefully it slams against the wall. Zen appears, holding Jaehee by the back of her blouse.

“Good thing you have duplicates of everyone’s keys!” Zen calls back to Seven, who is hovering behind them with Jumin. 

The four of them shuffle into the room, filling up the tiny space until there’s barely any room.

“What are you guys doing here?” asks Yoosung, standing up from the bed and crossing his arms defensively. “And how’d you get a key to my apartment?”

“Yo!” calls Seven, waving his arm in greeting and ignoring the second question. “We decided to come pay you guys a visit after dinner!”

Zen grabs Jumin by the arm. “And now we’re leaving. Seven, get Yoosung.”

“Roger!” Seven agrees, gripping a protesting Yoosung by the shoulders.

“Except you!” yells Zen, using his free arm to grab Jaehee, who at this point is already halfway into the hall. “You get back in there! I’m locking you in until you tell MC what you told me!”

Whether willingly or unwillingly, all four men end up outside Yoosung’s bedroom. Zen shuts the door, which Jaehee attempts to force open to no avail.

“Jesus Christ, you guys are the  _ most frustrating couple… _ ” you can hear him scoff through the door.

You are so confused right now. Where the hell did everyone come from? Why are they here? You look to Jaehee for answers, but she looks like she’s going to be sick.

“Whoa, are you okay?” you ask her. You help her sit down on the edge of the bed. She looks dizzy.

“I’m fine,” she replies, staring at her feet.

You sit next to her and look at her in your periphery. “You gonna tell me what this is about, Jaehee?”

She swallows nervously. “As much as I would like to avoid discussing it until I have fully come to terms with it, I suppose Zen won’t let us out until I do. The truth is...I must apologize to you.”

“Apologize?” you ask. “For what?”

She tugs at her collar like it’s too tight around her neck. She’s still not looking at you, but you can see the faintest tinge of pink coloring her cheeks.

“I told you last week I would support your relationship with Yoosung. However, after...recent events….I must rescind that statement.”

You hold your breath. Is this going where you think it’s going?

Jaehee inhales deeply. “Before we even met, I researched how female friends act toward one another. Every resource I found said that women should be happy for their friends in relationships. I have tried over the past few days to be happy for you and Yoosung, to the point of distancing myself from my emotions, but after seeing that picture of you and him this evening, I was forced to acknowledge that my true intentions regarding you seem...well outside the realm of friendship.”

It takes all the restraint in your body to stop you from literally jumping for joy. Is this really happening? Has she finally figured it out?

She turns to you, eyes filled with determination.

“I am your friend and a woman. I have no right to ask this of you, but please, if you must be in a relationship with someone...”

She lays her hand on her chest like she’s making a vow.

“Choose me, MC.”

Without missing a beat or giving her a chance to brace herself, you launch yourself onto her, the same way you did when she was drunk. This time you can be certain the redness in her face is not from alcohol.

“Jaehee,” you say, smiling down at the beautiful woman beneath you, delivering the line you’ve been saving for months. “I chose the path that leads to you a long time ago.”

Tears well up in her eyes. “Do you mean…?”

“Of course,” you interrupt her. “I feel the same way.”

She sits up, mouth curving into the warmest smile you’ve ever seen on her face. Tears stream gently down to her chin. “Oh, thank God. I don’t know if I could have properly handed you over to Yoosung.”

You laugh nervously. “Ehehe...actually, that was never an issue.”

Jaehee looks confused. You were hoping to avoid explaining until later, but it seems you’ve already said too much.

“Yoosung and I were never on a real date. This whole thing was orchestrated by Seven and Jumin so you would hurry up and realize your feelings.”

She scowls, flushed with embarrassment. “I should have known there was some ulterior motive when he invited me to dinner tonight.”

You take one of her hands in yours and kiss her fingertips gently. “Well, the plan worked, didn’t it?”

“I suppose it did,” she says, entwining her fingers with yours. “To be completely honest, I think I’ve known what these feelings are for a long time. But because of the way this country is, I couldn’t put a name to them.”

“But you can now?” you ask.

She places your hand on her chest, allowing you to feel her heartbeat, quick but steady. “I can now.”

You wait for her to say more but it doesn’t come. 

“Jaehee,” you say after more than a full minute of silence. “Would you mind...saying the words?”

She practically jumps into the air. “You mean  _ those  _ words?”

You draw an air-heart with your finger for emphasis. “Yes,  _ those  _ words.”

She turns away, blushing furiously. “D-do they really need saying right now?

You raise your eyebrows. “There’ve been too many misunderstandings between us lately. I want to make sure we’re on the same page.”

She tenses, nods slowly and then turns back to you with a look of extreme determination. “Alright. I’ll try. MC, I...:”

A few moments pass in silence. She opens her mouth twice but nothing comes out.

“Forgive me,” she says after a while. “I did not realize this would be so difficult.”

She tries again to no avail. Finally a gleam appears in her eye.

“I have an idea! I’ll text it to you. It’s how we met, after all.” She pulls out her phone and starts tapping a message. “There, I’ve sent it.”

You listen for a vibration in your pocket, but that doesn’t happen either.

“I think the connection in here is bad…” she says, staring at her phone screen. “Just a few more minutes, I’m certain…”

“Damn it, I can’t take it anymore!” you cry, pouncing onto Jaehee and knocking her down on the mattress. You’re a little miffed she won’t say the words, but this nervous side of her is just too cute.

“MC!” she says in surprise. Her amber eyes are wide and wet, and this time there’s no mistaking the desire there.

You smile down at her. “I’ve waited this long,” you say in a mock-scolding voice. “I suppose I can wait a little longer. But in exchange for my patience, can I kiss you now?”

It’s a bold move on your part. You’re fairly certain she’ll tell you she’s not ready, so you’re a little shocked when she gives you the tiniest of nods.

“I admit I am...fairly unpracticed in these matters. Please be gentle with me.”

You almost lose control completely. Jaehee is definitely the most adorable person on the planet. “Don’t worry. What was that line from one of Zen’s musicals? The one about the jalapeno?  _ I’ll be softer than warm rain falling silently in a forest. _ ”

Jaehee looks disgruntled. 

“Ah, sorry, did I mess up the line? I know it sounds cooler when Zen says it…”

She raises a hand to stroke your face. “I never thought I would say this, but I don’t want to talk about Zen right now.”

And with that, all your restraint evaporates. This woman has slain you. You descend on her like a hawk, remembering just before impact that you promised to be gentle. 

It starts torturously slowly, the merest press of one mouth to another. Her lips are soft and warm, and it takes considerable effort to avoid devouring them. You have all the time in the world, you remind yourself, but only one first kiss with Jaehee. You should savor it.

You can feel her eyelashes flutter against your cheek as you deepen the kiss, not daring to use your tongue just yet. Instead you suck softly at her bottom lip, plump like candy, asking for permission to go further. You were prepared to do all the work but you’re pleasantly surprised when she yields at once, the hands that were on your cheeks snaking their way into your hair, pulling you closer.

You move faster now, harder, licking and nipping at her mouth, relishing the delicious sensation of the ridge of her teeth under the tip of your tongue. Jaehee has elected not to close her eyes, and the want emanating from her stare adds an element of electricity to the kiss.

It’s almost regrettable when you have to break away for air. You gaze down at the beauty beneath you, panting, lips red and shiny with saliva, eyes glazed with need.

“Was that...alright?” she says, breathing shallow and ragged. 

You lick your lips in what you hope is a seductive manner. “I’m not sure I got enough data. We’ll have to try again.”

She smiles slyly. “I believe now _you_ are the one who is being dishonest.”

As you lower your head to kiss her again, your phone vibrates in your pocket. You don’t stop to check the message. You already know what it says.

 

-

-

 

VISUAL NOVEL MODE: ZEN

“I don’t want to talk about Zen right now!” chokes Seven from outside the door to Yoosung’s bedroom, wiping a tear of laughter from his eye. “Man, are you guys hearing this?”

Zen rolls his eyes from the kitchen table, where he had moved after Jaehee gave up trying to break out. “No, because you’re the only one creepy enough to listen at the door during a heartfelt confession!”

Yoosung lays his head down on the table. “Why did you guys have to put them in my room? How am I supposed to sleep tonight knowing they made out on my bed?”

Seven saunters into the room with a mischievous grin. “It’s awful silent in there. Maybe they won’t make it out tonight at all!”

Yoosung snaps up, eyes wide with horror. “No way...you don’t think-!”

“Of course not,” says Zen, crossing his arms. “Look how long it took them to get to this point. That’s not going to happen for a long time.”

“Thank God,” Yoosung wipes his forehead in relief. 

Zen shifts in his seat and says, quietly, “Did she really say that, Seven?”

“Word for word!” Seven says, saluting Zen before taking a seat himself.

Zen sighs. “I need a drink. Yoosung, got anything?”

He doesn’t give Yoosung any time to respond before he’s rifling through the fridge. Yoosung has a paltry selection of bottled tea and Dr. Pepper, the latter of which is taped off with a sign reading ‘For 707’, complete with a hastily drawn Seven emoji.  At the back of the fridge, Zen manages to find a single can of beer.

Jumin snatches it from Zen’s hand as he reaches the table.

“Hey!” shouts Zen as Jumin eyes the can.

“This beer expired two months ago,” announces Jumin. 

“Shut up,” says Zen, cracking open the can. “I don’t care right now as long as it’s alcohol.”

“Don’t blame me when you become ill,” deadpans Jumin.

“Yeah, yeah,” Zen waves it off. “Anyway, you’re being awfully snarky for someone who just lost a ton of money.”

“Money is no objective to me,” says Jumin curtly, pulling out a checkbook from his pocket. “But I suppose I did make a gentleman’s agreement. To whom should I make this out?”

“Yoosung, isn’t it?” Zen says, taking a swig from the can. “My block hasn’t started yet so it must be yours.”

“Eh?” Yoosung replies. “My block ended last week. Didn’t you win, Zen?”

They both turn to Seven, who is looking something up on his phone. “About that…”

He turns his phone around, showing a calendar.

“Yoosung’s block ended here,” he says, pointing to a day.  “And Zen, yours begins here.” 

“So what you’re saying,” says Zen. “Is that MC and Jaehee got together in the middle of the  _ one  _ week nobody claimed?”

Seven shrugs. “Sure looks that way!”

Yoosung sinks back onto the table. “And it’s right in the middle of the week, too. Zen, what should we do?”

“I’m okay with splitting it if you are,” he says to Yoosung, who becomes reanimated at once.

“Oh! I didn’t think of that! It’s perfect!”

Zen finishes his can of beer. “Splitting the money is better than letting Mr. Trust Fund Kid walk away unscathed. And at any rate, I could really use some cash right now.”

“Fine by me,” says Jumin. “I already had the amount filled out, so I’ll make it out to Yoosung. You can divide it up yourselves.” He scribbles Yoosung’s name and passes it over.

“No cafeteria food next semester!” cries Yoosung, cradling the check like a newborn child.

Zen freezes. “Wait a second. You had the check filled out already?”

“Except for the name, yes.”

“How did you know you would lose the bet?”

Jumin seems momentarily shaken but quickly regains his composure. “I realized several months in that my loss was eminent. I am not a sore loser, so I wrote out most of the check in preparation.”

“I don’t think so,” says Zen, realizing more and more as the seconds pass. “I think you knew from the beginning that they’d end up together. I bet you’ve had this check filled out since the day we made the bet!”

Yoosung holds a finger to his lips, pondering the situation. “But Zen, why would he bet all that money knowing he’d lose?”

“Motivation!” Seven chimes in. “He wanted the rest of us to try and interfere so it would happen!”

Jumin’s eyes are the same unreadable gray, but his cheeks are lightly dusted with pink. “You’re all being ridiculous. I would never attempt something so roundabout.”

“You definitely would,” argues Zen, provoking a deadly glare from Jumin. “But why would you be so invested in having us try and get Jaehee and MC together?”

Yoosung suddenly gasps dramatically. “Jumin, don’t tell me you were trying to do something nice for Jaehee?”

Jumin visibly twitches like he’s been struck by lightning. “Of course I didn’t-”

“Yoosung, you’re a genius!” cries Seven, clapping the blond on the back. “Tyrant Jumin Han felt bad for treating his assistant so poorly, and the only thing he can think to do to repay her is…”

“Helping her start a meaningful relationship with the woman she loves,” finishes Zen. “Jumin, I didn’t know you were such a softie.”

“You are all idiots,” Jumin says seethingly. 

“Yeah, yeah,” says Zen, smirking. “As a special treat to you, I won’t mention it again. Tonight, I mean.”

“No promises here!” chides Seven. “Anyway, Yoosung, do you have anything fun to do while we wait for the blushing brides?”

Yoosung blushes a bit himself. “They’re not married yet! And my computer is in my bedroom, but I think I have a pack of cards somewhere…”

He digs through a few kitchen drawers before pulling one out. “Found it!”

“How are you at poker, Trust Fund?” Zen asks Jumin. “Maybe you could try and win some of your money back. If you can beat me, that is.”

Jumin’s confidence reappears immediately. “You might regret it. As you’ll soon find out, I have quite the poker face.”

Zen chortles. “That’s because you have no emotions to show.”

“I’m in!” says Seven excitedly, grabbing the cards and shuffling them in complicated patterns.

“I actually don’t know how to play very well…” admits Yoosung.

As Seven teaches Yoosung the basics, Zen stares at the bedroom door, behind which MC and Jaehee still reside. Having been single for over five years, Zen admits he’s more than envious of what’s probably occurring in there. Still, at the same time he’s glad for the happiness of his two important friends. Soon the two princesses will reemerge to an onslaught of make-out jokes from Seven, embarrassed and bewildered by this new relationship they’ve found themselves in, but hopefully holding each other’s hands and smiling nonetheless, and Zen will know there’s a little more love in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! And we made it! Thanks for reading, everyone. I hope you're happy with the ending. There will be a short epilogue soon so look out for it.
> 
> Also look out for the next two fics in the series, which will involve additions, and retellings of events from this fic as well as expand on it, although MC and Jaehee will take the back seat in them. They will be JuZen and YooSeven because I have to make sure everyone has a happy ending! I hope you'll read those too!
> 
> Jaehee's ending was my favorite, but Yoosung's route was probably my favorite. He was my first so he's very special to me. That's why we see a lot of him here and why he and MC are so close.
> 
> As usual, comments are lovely and fuel me to write more. (I was going to finish this next week but I got so many wonderful comments that I had to do it early!) 
> 
> I love all of you. Thank you for taking this ride with me.
> 
> Sincerely,  
> Luna


	6. Epilogue

“Canada or America?”

Jaehee looks up from the scones she’s icing. “Sorry?”

“Canada or America?” you repeat, bouncing over to her. “For when we get married. Which country do you like more? There might be others that'll do it for two women but I can’t think of any right now.”

Your girlfriend blushes. Six months of dating and she still glows red every time you catch her off guard. It’s probably never going to stop. You’re okay with it. It makes her somehow even cuter.

“W-what are you talking about?” she says, nervously returning to the scones. “It’s too early to be thinking about things like that.”

You puff out your cheeks in a pout. “You don’t want to?”

She looks up again, shooting you the usual  _ that’s not fair  _ expression you see so often. “That’s not what I said.”

“Then choose!” You spring behind her and wrap your arms around her chest, holding her close.

Jaehee sighs, but you can hear the smile curling her lips as she does. She sets down the bag of icing and folds her hands over yours, bringing them up to her mouth and kissing them. 

“I’ve always wanted to see California.”

You hum triumphantly into her ear. “America it is.”

You hold onto her a bit longer, just breathing in her scent. Besides the usual coffee, today Jaehee smells like fresh baked goods. It's opening day for your cafe, and you’ve spent the morning pumping out cakes, breads and other sweets to serve alongside the beverages. 

Just a few months ago, this kitchen was nothing but plywood and blueprints. It probably would have taken longer to build, but Jumin, who had taken one look at the construction site and declared it unsuitable, had volunteered his own personal building team to finish the kitchen in record time. He’d even had them install extra ovens, including several that could produce steam for bread-baking. (He had, of course, refused to admit any of it was out of kindness, but you and Jaehee had thanked him all the same.)

But the most noticeable change is Jaehee herself, her chestnut hair now down to her back, falling in gorgeous waves. Her natural hair is straight, but she’d gotten a perm last weekend, stating she wanted to do something different but wasn’t comfortable dying it yet. You wouldn’t have cared either way, of course, but you have to admit, it suits her.

“You’re so beautiful, Jaehee,” you say without thinking, intoxicated by the gleam of her hair under the kitchen lights. You twirl a few strands around your finger and bring them to your lips.

“MC, the scones…” she reminds you, turning around in your arms to face you.

“They can wait,” you say, and you kiss her deeply.

She practically melts into it, eyelids fluttering shut and mouth yielding immediately to your advances. Jaehee tastes like her morning espresso, dark and rich and slightly bitter. You want to drown in it.

You break off from her mouth and move to her neck, biting it gently, not hard enough to leave a mark. Jaehee’s skin is hot, and you feel each shallow breath she takes through your teeth.

“We shouldn’t...do this here…” she mutters, breath hitching as you snake a hand under her blouse, spreading your palm out on her bare back.

_ Beep beep beep beep! _

“Damn, the cookies,” you say, removing your hand and backing away towards the oven, leaving a weak-kneed Jaehee to stumble backwards and grip the countertop for support. “Let’s continue later, ok?”

Again, the  _ that’s not fair  _ look. You laugh quietly to yourself as you pull the cookies out of the oven. Jaehee is just too cute for her own good. It’s really not your fault if you can’t control yourself, right?

“I love you so much,” you say, setting the cookies on a rack to cool.

Jaehee smiles at you in an it-can’t-be-helped sort of way. “I love you too, MC. But there’s a time and a place.”

A few moments later, she’s regained her composure and is helping you unload the cookies into the display in the front room. You invited the RFA boys an hour before official opening time, and they should be arriving any minute. 

Everyone had played their part in advertising the cafe. Jumin had sponsored several television commercials. Yoosung had hung up flyers around his university, and Zen had somehow gotten an ad printed in the playbill for his most recent stage production. Even Seven had helped, creating (to Jaehee’s protest) an internet virus that redirected clickbait articles to the cafe’s webpage, which he had also designed. Due to the massive publicity, you’re expecting a busy first day.

In the last few moments of silence before the workday begins, you and Jaehee look out across the room at the cozy tables and chairs, now empty but hopefully soon full. Would you be successful in creating a place for customers to call their own? Only time would tell. But, as you take Jaehee’s hand behind the counter, you remind yourself that isn’t important. You’ve already created a place for the two of you, and that’s enough.

You hear talking from the outside. “They’re here,” you say, planting a kiss on her cheek for good measure. “Let’s do our best to impress them!”

She nods, squeezing your hand in hers as Yoosung, Seven, Jumin and Zen step inside. “Hello!” she calls to them.

You reach your free hand into your pocket, curling a finger around the ring. You bought it a week after Jaehee confessed to you, and you’ve been carrying it around ever since. It’s a simple gold band with a diamond, set into a small charm shaped like a key. It’s a symbol of the first gift she gave you, and a promise that she’ll always belong with you.

But now isn’t right. You let the ring go and join her in greeting the boys, reminding yourself to wait and find a meaningful moment. There’s no need to rush. Jaehee’s always been a little slower with these sorts of things, after all. You have a beautiful woman by your side and all the time in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone's curious about the timeline, it's a little altered from the original MM Jaehee ending. In Jaehee's after-end, it's said that the cafe is opened 6 months after the RFA party. In this story, the cafe opens a year after the party. I changed it mostly because it's unrealistic for her hair to have grown that much in six months haha. 
> 
> That's it for this fic! I'll be writing more Jaehee and MC in my next two fics, which will feature JuZen and YooSeven as the main couples respectively. I don't have titles for them yet but keep an eye out for them :)
> 
> I love all of you! I hope you had fun reading this. I sure had fun writing, and I'll continue to love this fandom!
> 
> Now, to play the special Christmas episode a thousand more times...


End file.
